Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk sends a blunt message regarding Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Reds' creative right-back has come in for a lot of criticism this season.
Alexander-Arnold's defensive duties have come under scrutiny after his side have made a poor start to the Premier League season.
“[Trent's goal] was a big moment for us that he scored," Van Dijk said about his teammate after a win against Rangers in the Champions League.
"We created a couple of chances before that so it was good to score at that point. We know the quality Trent has and he showed that again. No matter what the outside world will say about him, we always back each other and we know that we are fighting our way back to the consistency we have always been showing over the last couple of years. We'll get there. I'm confident we'll all get there.
“He has the quality to do it and he showed it again. I've been in the UK now for eight or nine years and everyone here is very good at praising a player very high up to the sky and letting them fall as hard as they can!
"That's what we, as players, have to deal with. We forget about the well-being of players, we forget about that stuff and everyone is talking about how we should all accept it. For him to just carry on working - not only him but other players as well – and deal with it and show a reaction is what we need, all of us. To do that I think it's important that we back him and the manager and the club and the fans.
“Well, [the England issue] is something different. We are all struggling. Hopefully we get to the point where we are finding our level again. That's what we all want, that's what we all work for and what we come into training for: to get stronger, get faster, get better, but it's not a quick fix - it doesn't work like that. If it worked like that, it would be a lot easier.
"Trent has been showing it over the last couple of years; he has developed as one of the best right-backs in the country. In the end, if he doesn't make the squad, that's on Gareth Southgate. He makes the decisions and everyone has to respect his decisions. The only thing he can do is perform at the club and obviously the last few weeks have been difficult but hopefully we can find the right form again – all of us."
