Wayne Rooney tells Trent Alexander-Arnold to improve as serious flaw noticed

Wayne Rooney has urged Trent Alexander-Arnold to improve on one aspect of his game at Real Madrid in comments that will no doubt sound very familiar to Liverpool fans

Wayne Rooney has urged Trent Alexander-Arnold to improve defensively(Image: Getty Images)

Wayne Rooney believes Trent Alexander-Arnold can become the best full-back in the world - but only if he improves defensively.

The former Liverpool vice-captain was in action on Tuesday as he started Real Madrid’s Champions League play-off tie against Benfica, with Alexander-Arnold going a step closer to another potential meeting with his old side later in the competition as the Spanish giants won the first leg 1-0.

The clash in Lisbon though was overshadowed by the alleged racist abuse of Vinicius Jr, which saw the game suspended for around 10 minutes and led Alexander-Arnold to label the scenes a “disgrace to football”.

It has been a frustrating start to life at the Bernabeu for Alexander-Arnold following his switch from Liverpool last summer. The 27-year-old has struggled with injury problems, as well as speculation suggesting he might already be on his way out under Alvaro Arbeloa.

The England international seems to be in favor at the moment, although former Manchester United and Everton star Rooney feels he still has a problem.

“A lot of the teams will target down the sides in transition,” Rooney told Amazon Prime Video.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has struggled in his first season at Real Madrid(Image: Getty Images)

“He has to be good at defending. He has to be good at both sides of the game. On the ball, he’s one of the best in world football.

“Off the ball, defensively, that’s where he has to improve. That’s where the question marks are on Trent.

“If he improves that, there’s no doubt that he will be the best full-back in the world.”

It’s an issue that has followed Alexander-Arnold throughout his career, especially in recent years. He has been a regular target for criticism from pundits for his defensive capabilities, most notably Roy Keane.

His former Liverpool boss though might agree with Rooney’s comments, with Arne Slot having revealed he tried to work on Alexander-Arnold’s defensive output upon his arrival at Anfield.

“I wasn't completely happy with every minute of how he was on the training ground,” Slot revealed last summer. “In certain moments, I felt he could do a bit more, to say it mildly. That is what we talked about.

"I told him, 'you are a much better defender than people tell you, but you don't show it all the time.' I said, 'if you are at it and concentrated, there are not many players who can go around you'. Because he is fast, agile, has a great mentality but it is about showing that every single game."