‘Haven’t improved slightly’: Roy Keane lays into Trent Alexander-Arnold after Thomas Tuchel’s bold England snub

Last Updated on 11 September 2025

Trent Alexander-Arnold is under the microscope, again, after being dropped by Thomas Tuchel for the England squad.

The England management opted for a defensive shake-up, calling up Reece James, Tino Livramento, and Djed Spence instead.

This decision highlights a growing concern over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive form, with Tuchel preferring players who have shown more balance at the back.

The Real Madrid star’s attacking brilliance remains unquestioned. But England’s coaching staff clearly wanted defenders they trust to perform consistently in defensive situations.

Roy Keane’s brutal take on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive contributions

After Tuchel’s decision to drop Trent and England’s successful international break, questions emerged over the former Liverpool defender’s future.

Roy Keane, speaking on Stick to Football, was left unimpressed with how Trent’s defensive skills had progressed over the years.

“It’s amazing how you’ve not even improved that slightly,” said Keane. The Manchester United legend claimed Trent hadn’t ‘picked up a little bit’ of defending even from training sessions.

Despite winning everything with Liverpool, Trent’s inability to defend has always been a problem highlighted by the media.

Trent’s defensive frailities highlighted by three different managers in less than a year

After Gareth Southgate’s decision to bench Trent in favor of Kyle Walker during the Euro 2024, the Real Madrid rightback has come under more criticism by three different managers.

Arne Slot, Trent’s coach at Liverpool during the 2024/25 campaign, pointed out as reported by the Daily Mail, how he wasn’t happy with the way Trent trained. He also called him out for not putting in enough effort and how he could’ve ‘done more in certain moments’.

At Real Madrid, Dani Carvajal’s return from injury saw Real Madrid’s no.12 dropped from the starting XI. How Xabi Alonso manages the two going forward will be a massive indication of how much he rates Trent.

And most recently, Trent was dropped by Thomas Tuchel. Speaking to the media as reported by the BBC, the German coach said, “if he wants to have this impact in the English national team then he has to take the defensive part very, very seriously.”

This comes as a big blow for the 26-year-old who made the switch from the Premier League champions, Liverpool, to Real Madrid, earlier in June.