Trent Alexander-Arnold was Liverpool’s star man in Manchester City tie, says Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard has picked teenage full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool’s star man over the two legs against Manchester City.

The 19-year-old started both games of the quarter-final tie and kept Leroy Sane quiet, as Liverpool conceded just one goal over the two games.

There were superb performances from Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, James Milner and Dejan Lovren, but Gerrard believes Alexander-Arnold must be given the most praise.

Alexander-Arnold came into the game off the back of two questionable performances and Gerrard was hugely impressed with the right-back’s mentality.

‘If you take Trent, look at his age, the magnitude of the game over both games and who he was up against, I think he has to be the star man over two legs,’ Gerrard said on BT Sport.

‘I think with Gomez being out and Clyne not playing much, it had to be Trent. But to be fair to the kid he’s stood up so well over the two games.

‘Gareth [Southgate] will be well aware of him, I know he trained recently with the England squad.

‘The manager’s confidence in him, on a yellow card to keep him on in a game like that, speaks volumes of their relationship.’

Sane struggled to impose himself on the game up against Alexander-Arnold and Rio Ferdinand hailed the young Englishman as the future of the international side.

‘After coming off the back of two poor games where he had two big mistakes that cost goals for Liverpool, to come in under that pressure and produce a performance like that,’ Ferdinand said.

‘One v one especially, going out there, brave on the front foot against a super talent in Leroy Sane.

‘Not only defensively was his fantastic, but when he had the ball his distribution into forward areas was superb for a young boy.

‘If you’re judging it, the England right-back was playing today – Kyle Walker.

‘If you didn’t know nothing about the game and you’re just watching it not knowing who they were, who looks the better right-back on those two performances? Trent.’