Dirk Kuyt says Trent Alexander-Arnold is key for England at Euro 2024

Ex-Liverpool attacker Dirk Kuyt has said that Trent Alexander-Arnold is 'key' for England in their attempts to win Euro 2024 next week.

The Dutchman also urges Three Lions to take Ronald Koeman advice and gives his prediction for the Switzerland quarter-final clash.

• "These kind of games are won by very small details, and if you go back and watch Liverpool when they won everything they won under Jurgen Klopp, you will see Trent was always involved in those big moments."
• "I'd always be putting Alexander-Arnold in that England team; and from the perspective of a coach, when it comes to quality on the ball, we're talking, here, about someone who almost never loses it."
• "These kind of games are won by very small details, and if you go back and watch Liverpool when they won everything they won under Jurgen Klopp, you will see Trent was always involved in those big moments."
• "Of course, every supporter will want to see the very best players in the starting line-up, but, also, the chemistry is so important. The team needs to be spot on. I really like the way Ronald Koeman is talking at the moment..."
• "We - as fans - always want to talk about our preferred line-ups, who should be starting, and who should be on the bench. But Ronald Koeman is saying, many times, at the moment, in the Dutch press: "I have starters, and I have finishers"."
• "To win on Saturday, there's no doubt they will have to have their best performance of the tournament so far. If they perform near the level they're currently at, it's going to be very difficult for them... it's not going to be good enough."
• "I can remember, during my time with Liverpool, my English teammates coming back from international tournaments, having not met the high expectations of the supporters... it was intense. It wasn't easy for them."
• "I'm sure that, if England make it to the semi-final, the whole country will be so happy, and maybe that's the best way to deal with this kind of thing; don't answer with your mouth, answer with your feet."
  

From my point of view, Trent Alexander-Arnold is at his best when he has the ball at his feet. His short-passing, his long-passing, his crosses, they're amazing. People always want to put players in a position, or in a certain zone, but Trent can play as a wing-back, he can play in the midfield... I've seen so much of him, and all I can say is that, with the ball at his feet, he's an amazing player.

I'd always be putting Alexander-Arnold in that England team; and from the perspective of a coach, I think about having the ball; when you have the ball, you have less to defend. And, when it comes to quality on the ball, we're talking, here, about someone who almost never loses it. His decision-making is always spot on, and he's just so, so impactful from his set-piece deliveries... I think he can be a crucial player for England, if he is to play, against Switzerland.

These kind of games are won by very small details, and if you go back and watch Liverpool when they won everything they won under Jurgen Klopp, you will see Trent was always involved in those big moments. 

There are just so many quality players throughout that England team; people talk about Jude Bellingham, and he's brilliant, but they have so many more players in there, as well. But, from what I've seen so far, in attack in particular, they're not showing what they can do. They still have so much more to offer. 

On the other hand, I don't think England are giving many chances away, and so they're decent in their defensive shape. But, in attack, when you're talking about the players that England have... you have to expect a bit more. 

England have not amazed me yet, especially on the ball. They have much more to offer, I think. Like I said, defensively, they're in a really good shape, and the fact that they just have so many attacking players who are more than capable of going and creating something from nothing, means you can't write them off in this tournament, despite how they've played up to this point. 

People might not like the way the manager is playing at the moment, but at the end of the day, it's about winning, and progressing. Look, you could play the best game and, yet, if you lost it in the last second, everyone would blame you for not performing well... now, at the moment, everyone was criticising the team for the whole game against Slovakia, and yet when they score that goal in injury-time, and then go on to win the game, everyone is so happy that England are in the quarter-final... that's how it works in football. Of course, you always want to play a certain way, and that's how I grew up in Holland, with the understanding that you had to play good football. But, at the end of the day, winning is the most important thing. 

Of course, every supporter will want to see the very best players in the starting line-up, but, also, the chemistry is so important. The team needs to be spot on. I really like the way Ronald Koeman is talking at the moment, because we - as fans - always want to talk about our preferred line-ups, who should be starting, and who should be on the bench. But Ronald Koeman is saying, many times, at the moment, in the Dutch press: "I have starters, and I have finishers". 

So, it's also great to have such quality players on the bench, and have them on for 20 or 30 minutes, or for extra-time, and they're the ones who can finish the game for you.

It's very difficult, from the outside, to say "oh, I would play like this", or "I would play like that". The manager of the England team is working day-in, day-out, with those players. He knows exactly what he is doing, and I'm sure he's trying to get the best players on the pitch. Some people will be behind him in those decisions, others will question what he's doing. But we only see what we see, on the pitch, for 90 minutes; we don't see all the other things behind the scenes; maybe some players are carrying injuries, maybe they're not in the best form, maybe they need a rest, you know?

England shouldn't underestimate Switzerland. They will play from their own strengths, with a lot of intensity. I don't think they will look at England, or England's weaknesses, or how to play against them; I think they will play from their own strengths, and that's what England should focus on. 

Switzerland aren't going to go with a different system, or look to adapt accordingly to the English players, they'll play their own game... and it's a very good game. I'm really looking forward to that match. 

Obviously Holland are my favourite team, but England are my second-favourite team, so I really hope they win on Saturday. To win on Saturday, there's no doubt they will have to have their best performance of the tournament so far. If they perform near the level they're currently at, it's going to be very difficult for them... it's not going to be good enough. 

But I'm sure they'll be at their best; it's an unbelievable opportunity to get through to the next round and I'm going to say they'll go through. 

I spent six years in England, and I had a great time there. Football just means so much to the people in this country, and that's why I think the expectation is so high. So often, everybody has an opinion, whether it's right or wrong. Most of the time I think it's wrong, and it's purely down to emotion. In big tournaments, like the Euros, the pressure is so high. And in a world of social media, things are even more intense, because more and more people have a platform to voice their opinion.

For me, it's never a problem if people are going to be critical, but it has to be based on the way the players are playing, and nothing else. That's where we should set the line; we should talk about football; it's a great game, and us players know that we're going to get stick from supporters. But it's funny, because if England were to go on and win this tournament, we all know what would happen; these guys would be legends forever. 

Football is such a huge thing all around the world, but especially in England, and that's why everyone wants to play in the Premier League. I just don't like when things get personal, and unfortunately, that's a big part of the game.

I can remember, during my time with Liverpool, my English teammates coming back from international tournaments, having not met the high expectations of the supporters... it was intense. It wasn't easy for them. If I talked, for example, to Steven Gerrard, he was always really focused - and I think he could handle the pressure more than everyone. Sometimes it's just a case of not reading the newspapers, and not watching the news - when you're playing in those tournaments, we'd always say the focus had to be solely on the football... you shouldn't focus your energy on anything else.

Stevie was one of those players who could really focus on the things that mattered, but it's not always easy. In Holland, it's the same, because again, we're talking about a very passionate group of supporters, with very high expectations. When Holland lost to Austria last week, the players received a lot of stick, and supporters were not happy. But, you win your next game, and everything changes. It's all about what happens in that next game. 

I'm sure that, if England make it to the semi-final, the whole country will be so happy, and maybe that's the best way to deal with this kind of thing; don't answer with your mouth, answer with your feet.

Ladbrokes has published an article looking at the betting odds for each of the nations left competing in Euro 2024, starting with the favourites England and ending with Turkey, who have been priced at 33/1.

View the latest football odds.

All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.