England manager Gareth Southgate announced his 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup in Russia next month and two of our first-team stars made it to the team.
Jordan Henderson’s inclusion was no surprise since he has been a key player for us over the last few seasons. But much to everyone’s delight, the young Trent Alexander-Arnold was included in the squad.
Alexander-Arnold has thrived under Jurgen Klopp and he put in some sensational performances in the recently concluded season. Going forward, he will undoubtedly be a mainstay for Liverpool and it is great to see him gather opportunities on the international stage as well.
Meanwhile, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain missed out through injury whereas Adam Lallana was not picked. Lallana’s career has seen several ups and downs over the years and his tendency to pick up injuries has stunted his growth as a player.
Even in the previous season, he did not appear much for Liverpool and hence, Southgate chose not to include him in the World Cup squad.
However, I trust Lallana to not let that affect him. In a time when competition among footballers is intense, Lallana took it in his stride and congratulated Henderson and Alexander-Arnold instead.
It is only human nature for a player to feel disheartened if they are not selected in the national team for an event as prestigious as the World Cup but it is great to see Lallana deal with the situation in typical Lallana style.
The player posted a picture of Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold on Instagram with a caption that read:
“Congratulations to everyone selected for the England World Cup squad today. Obviously particularly delighted for Hendo and Trent… two lads who prove that being down to earth off the pitch doesn’t stop you being a star on it And Trent… take the lead from the skip and tuck that shirt in laa “
You are a class act, Lallana!
