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'Nobody wants to grow up to be a Gary Neville' - Trent eager to change perception of full-backs

Alexander-Arnold wants ‘to bring in a different way of thinking.’

LIVERPOOL ACE TRENT Alexander-Arnold has expressed a desire to change public opinion of full-backs, insisting that “nobody wants to grow up to be a Gary Neville”.

Jurgen Klopp’s men picked up an 11th successive win last night, beating Sheffield United 2-0 at Anfield.

Goals from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane wrapped up another three points for the Merseyside outfit, who seem to be on course to win a first league title in 30 years.

Andrew Robertson’s pass to tee up Salah in the fourth minute of the game marked his sixth assist of the season, which puts him just two behind Alexander-Arnold.

The two men have received widespread praise for their contributions throughout the 2019-20 campaign, adding an extra dimension to Liverpool’s attack while also making sure not to shirk their defensive duties.

When asked if Robertson helps push him to “new heights” in a post-match interview for BT Sport, Alexander-Arnold opened up on his competitive streak before aiming a subtle dig at former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville.

“Definitely, we are competitive within ourselves,” he said. ”We have a competition between us to see who can get the most goals and assists and it pushes us.

“As a pair, we want to change the way the position has previously been thought about. Obviously there was the famous saying ‘no one wants to grow up to be a full-back or a Gary Neville’.

“We want to bring in a different way of thinking and that’s what we’ve been doing over the last 18 months.”

Liverpool are now 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League, with a game in hand over second-placed Leicester City and reigning champions Manchester City, who are a point further back in third.

Klopp’s men are also unbeaten in a full calendar year, but Alexander-Arnold insists there is “still a long way to go” in their pursuit of domestic glory, with an FA Cup third-round tie against Everton up next.

“When you have momentum and good form you want the games to keep coming,” he told BBC Sport. ”We are happy with the way things are going. We are picking up a lot of points but we know there are still a lot of games to come and the FA Cup on the weekend. We are looking forward to the rest of the season.

“It was something we spoke about — controlling the game more and not being so hectic. We were too open to try and get more goals. We want to keep the ball and tire the opposition out.

“So far we are invincible but we have only just passed the halfway mark so there’s still a long way to go. It is harder than what people say. We got beaten once last season and that wasn’t enough. We need to keep our concentration in every game.”

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