Trent Alexander-Arnold has finally responded to Gary Lineker’s harsh remarks about England’s performance during the Euro 2024 campaign.
England’s journey to the final in Germany was far from smooth, with their group stage play drawing significant criticism.
After a narrow 1-0 victory over Serbia in their first match, England was held to a 1-1 draw by Denmark.
Lineker didn’t hold back, calling the team’s performance ‘s***’ on his podcast, The Rest is Football.
In a recent interview with The Mirror, Alexander-Arnold shared his thoughts on Lineker’s comments.
He acknowledged that the criticism was hard to hear but noted that the team was already aware of their shortcomings.
“We all felt the same way,” he said.
“We knew we could play better.
It wasn’t new information for us; it was something we were already thinking about.”
He went on to explain that the team discussed the need for improvement and recognized the importance of stepping up their game to progress further in the tournament.
“We needed to perform better, especially in front of goal,” Alexander-Arnold added.
He noted that different players might have reacted differently to the criticism—some as motivation, others by ignoring it—but the consensus was clear: improvement was necessary.
The Road to the Final
Despite the rocky start, England showed significant progress as the tournament advanced, eventually making their way to the final after victories over Slovakia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
However, their efforts fell short against Spain, who won 2-1.
The defeat left England still waiting for their first major tournament win in 58 years, and Gareth Southgate resigned as manager after eight years in charge.
Lineker Defends His Comments
Following the end of the tournament, Lineker addressed claims that his criticism might have influenced Southgate’s decision to step down.
On his podcast, he defended his stance, stating, “We’ve been fair in our critiques of England.
It’s important to be honest about performance.”
Lineker also expressed his belief that the criticism wasn’t the reason for Southgate’s departure.
“We speak to the players, and they understand where we’re coming from,” he said.