Emile Heskey believes Trent Alexander-Arnold has earned the starting right-back job for England ahead of a pair of UEFA Nations League matches in the coming days.
Alexander-Arnold has been a key contributor to a Liverpool defence that has yet to concede a goal in the Premier League this season, and Heskey has seen enough to call for the 25-year-old to line up on the right side of England's back line when the Three Lions take on the Republic of Ireland and Finland over the next week.
“I think Trent Alexander-Arnold will be the first choice right-back for the upcoming games in the Nations League after the start to the season he has had," Heskey told BetMGM.
"The only thing you can do as a player is go out and perform at your club and get recognised for that by being picked and then playing at international level.
“Fans can say what they like, but the reality is if you're not performing at your club, you can't expect to be walking into the England setup thinking you’re just going to put on that jersey and be the number one in your position. You have to earn it by performing consistently at your club."
In addition to Alexander-Arnold's good start to the Premier League campaign, Heskey points out that there's no one truly knocking on the door to replace him in England's starting XI at the monent.
“Kyle Walker hasn't played all that much for Man City yet, and he’s the main competition for that position," he said. "You have to think that Trent will be starting this weekend after some really strong performances for Liverpool to start the season.”
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