KLOPP BAFFLED BY TRENT SNUB

age. Now he has started the season with Covid early on which is not good.

“You can imagine it took him a while to get into the season, but from that moment on when he was in the season he was one of our most consistent players and a standout player.

“So that cannot be the reason that he was not in the squad.

“If you compare Lionel Messi every year with his best season ever, then he is not performing now like he was performing in 2005 and 2006 maybe. But he is still the world’s best player. That is one thing. I respect that Gareth makes his own decisions, of course, but I didn’t understand it.”

Alexander-arnold stayed behind and trained with the other Liverpool players not involved in international duty.

Klopp got a glimpse of what the England snub has done for motivating his right-back.

And ahead of tonight’s clash with Arsenal, he reckons it could fire him up to prove Southgate wrong for the remainder of the season to ensure he is part of the Euros squad.

The German said: “He was not with the national team now so he had time to train.

“He trained at an extremely high level and he showed a reaction when there is no need to do so.

“He was really ‘in’ the sessions, so that was good. He enjoyed the sessions a lot.

“He is a very ambitious boy, so I am sure he wants to be in the

England squad. I know he wants to be in the England squad and he will try everything to be there again.

“If Trent Alexander-arnold is not in the squad of England, then England must have an extremely good squad. Let me say it like this.”

Klopp has Roberto Firmino (left) back for the visit to Arsenal but skipper Jordan Henderson is not ready to return to training.

Klopp added: “He will train in the next days and weeks, for sure.”