The definition of a quarterback is simple, it is the player who orchestrates the attacking moves their team makes. That is the best way to define the style of player that Trent Alexander-Arnold is.

The 25-year-old pulls the strings for Liverpool. Under Jurgen Klopp, he was given the license to drift in front of the backline from his usual right-back position and pick out his teammates with his eye-catching passing ability.

While Klopp was never a fan of deploying Alexander-Arnold as an out-and-out midfielder, calls for the full-back to be moved into the middle of the park have been getting louder year, upon year. After all, that was where he started his youth career.

Those calls have been answered by Gareth Southgate. The England boss first decided to start Alexander-Arnold as a midfielder in June 2023, deploying him in the role in a 4-0 win over Malta, in which he scored.

Southgate has been experimenting with him there ever since, and now it seems he has his results. The Three Lions head coach is seriously considering starting Alexander-Arnold in England's Euro 2024 opener against Serbia on Sunday.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been used as a midfielder by Gareth Southgate in recent matches

The fact that he was handed the number eight shirt for the tournament was telling, however, the news has sparked debate as to whether it is the right call to put a right-back into midfield.

Is he ready? That's the question that is predominantly being thrown around. Ultimately, England do have other options such as Conor Gallagher, but do Alexander Arnold's attributes make the risk worthwhile?

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At first glance, the statistics tell us what we already know, the Liverpool star is a ball of creativity that lacks in the defensive department compared to his compatriots.

Over the past two league seasons, Alexander-Arnold has created the most chances of any current England midfielder, generating 135 opportunities for his teammates in red.

During the same time, Eberechi Eze created 111, while Declan Rice provided 84, and Jude Bellingham constructed 82.

It's important to remember that during the past two campaigns, Alexander-Arnold has predominantly been playing right-back, though he was given more freedom last season.

After reading how many openings Alexander-Arnold has laid on a plate for his teammates over the past two terms, it may not come as a surprise that he is also top of the pile when it comes to playing passes into the box.

The multi-talented England man sent the ball into the opposition area a total of 661 times. Yes, you read that right, 661. This number proves how progressive a player Alexander-Arnold is, he is always looking to get his side on the front foot.

What makes this statistic even more impressive is the fact that the next-best England player didn't even reach half that number. Eze is once again behind Alexander-Arnold, he has made 309 passes into the area across the past two Premier League seasons.

When you're trying to pry open a defence as often as Alexander-Arnold, not every pass is going to pan out as planned. He has the lowest pass accuracy of the entire midfield contingent in the Three Lions camp.

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He has been successful with 79 per cent of his passes. Compare that to Gallagher and Rice who have an impressive success rate of over 89 per cent, meanwhile, Bellingham and Kobbie Mainoo stand alongside each other with 86 per cent.

However, when the Liverpool vice-captain is fruitful with his deliveries, goals follow. Third in his club's assist list during the Premier League era, there is no shock that he tops that tally among the current crop of England midfielders.

He has provided 13 goals for his teammates across the last two seasons. Although that number does come out on top, it does seem low compared to the ludicrous amount of assists he had been picking up prior to 2022-23.

In fact, only four of his 13 came last season, which shows how his change of role at Anfield has impacted his play. Compare that to Rice, who notched up eight assists for the Gunners, while only providing two the season before.

Bellingham matches Rice when it comes to being a playmaker, falling just short of Alexander-Arnold. However, the Real Madrid star stamps all over his England competition when it comes to goalscoring.

The 20-year-old really came into his own at Los Blancos, scoring 19 league goals for them in his new attacking role at the top of Carlo Ancelotti's midfield diamond. Add his eight from the season before at Borussia Dortmund, nobody else comes close.

In comparison, Alexander-Arnold has only netted five times across the last two seasons. His lack of goals is probably due to the fact he doesn't pull the trigger anywhere near as much as many of his compatriots.

His eyes have lit up in front of goal a total of 87 times during the same time frame, with only 16 of those hitting the target. Only Gallagher, Mainoo, and Adam Wharton have let fly less from England's group of midfielders.

Maybe in midfield, Alexander-Arnold will let himself go for goal more. He proved against Bosnia that he has the ability to find the back of the net. His strike at St James' Park was simply sumptuous.

We know the ability Alexander-Arnold holds in his boots, but he does not use them to tackle too much. He only made 96 across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Premier League campaigns. Only Eze and Mainoo made less.

If you compare that with Rice's 162, and Wharton's 139, you see where England's fans' worries lie when it comes to Alexander-Arnold's defensive game. He has also won fewer duels (198) than five of England's six other midfielders and is successful at a lower rate (48.77 per cent) than the majority, as well.

It's clear that Alexander-Arnold puts more emphasis on creating than some of his defensive duties, but it doesn't mean he is lacking in that department. Only Rice (512) - from the midfield contingent - has won back possession more times than him (415) in the past two seasons.

After analysing the Liverpool full-back, it's undeniable that his playmaking capabilities, and nouse to break down a low block defence with his eye for a pass, could be of massive gain to the Three Lions in the middle.

It's easy to see why Southgate has decided to move him into the midfield role due to Kyle Walker's stranglehold on the right-back position, and fans will be interested to see if the ploy works.

The statistics show he offers something different to the other options the England boss has in midfield. But we are yet to discover if shoehorning him in alongside Bellingham and Rice will provide the correct balance the Three Lions crave.

Should it turn out a success, a certain Arne Slot may just be taking notes for his first pre-season with Liverpool.