Trent Alexander-Arnold has admitted that being named Liverpool vice-captain took him by surprise and he actually thought Jurgen Klopp was pulling him for a chat to tell him off.
Virgil van Dijk is the new Liverpool skipper following Jordan Henderson's controversial departure to Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq. That then left a vacancy for a new second in command.
The likes of Mohamed Salah, Alisson or Andrew Robertson would all have been worthy candidates, but 24-year-old Alexander-Arnold will bring a local flavour to the role.
"At first I thought [Klopp] was going to tell me to stop giving the ball away! It was a lovely surprise to be honest, not one I was expecting at that moment," the right-back admitted.
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"I thought we would have a conversation about that sort of thing at some point but not at that moment. But it was special, it was a moment I will remember."
Alexander-Arnold added that he feels "ready" for the responsibility.
"I feel like I've been a leader and I lead by example with the things I do on a daily basis. The lads see me as someone in a leadership role, I’m happy the manager and staff see that too," he explained.
"I want to make sure I take responsibility for what I do and how the team performs as well. It's an amazing position to be in. I've put in a lot of hard work up until this moment to reach these kinds of milestones. I've never been shy of what my ambitions are…to captain this club. This is a pathway and stepping stone to that. It’s a role and responsibility I’m looking forward to."
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This article was originally published on 90min as Trent Alexander-Arnold reacts to being named Liverpool vice-captain.
