Trent Alexander-Arnold will come through his difficult start to this season and "be a better player for it".
That is the opinion of former Liverpool striker John Aldridge, who discussed Alexander-Arnold's recent struggles in an exclusive interview with Stats Perform.
The right-back's performances have been scrutinised since the start of the campaign following a series of lax defensive displays.
Alexander-Arnold already faced a battle to make England's World Cup squad before contributing to Liverpool's underwhelming results.
Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate did not use Alexander-Arnold in the September internationals as he explained squad rival Kieran Trippier's "all-round game is ahead".
Until this season, Alexander-Arnold's club form had at least been consistent, and Aldridge is confident he will soon be back to his best.
"You're looking at one of the best full-backs in the world," Aldridge told Stats Perform. "Attacking wise, [he is] the best full-back in the world, without a doubt.
"He's a local lad. He's focused. He just needs to learn a bit about the defensive responsibilities he has.
"But he's got to be allowed to do what he does, and he's been let down by players in front of him and the midfield that don't cover for him as well this year, in my opinion.
"So, it's not entirely his fault, but he seems to be getting the finger pointed at him all the time, and what Gareth Southgate did to him, I don't think that did him any good at all.
"He's a young lad, this is the first time he's gone through anything like this. Everything's been rosy for him.
"And you've got to learn how to take the rough with the smooth in football, and he will come out of this, and he will be a better player for it."
Alexander-Arnold could yet go to Qatar with England next month, with Kyle Walker and Reece James both injured.
Aldridge added: "I think Reece James is out now by all accounts. Will he take Trent? If he doesn't take him, he's not the manager I thought he was, and I think he's done a very good job for England, Gareth.
"From my personal point of view, I'm going to be selfish and say I hope he doesn't go. But if he wants to go, I hope he goes."
Al Ittihad 1-2 Al Hilal: Holders into King's Cup final
Al Hilal overcame Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's red card as Saud Abdulhamid's late goal sealed a 2-1 victory over Al Ittihad in the King's Cup semi-finals.
Without Karim Benzema, Al Ittihad ultimately lacked the firepower to make their numerical advantage count in Tuesday's clash.
Former Lazio midfielder, who joined Al Hilal as part of their spending spree last year, received a straight red card in the 42nd minute.
Al Ittihad's Abderrazzaq Hamed-Allah cancelled out Micheal's opener, but Abdulhamid popped up with the winner in the 81st minute.
Al Hilal are 10-time King's Cup winners, having won their 10th title last season.
The Saudi Pro League leaders, who are still without the injured Neymar, will now face either Al Khaleej or Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the final at the end of May.
Data Debrief: Malcom in the middle
Al Hilal might be missing their star Brazilian Neymar, but his compatriot Malcom is delivering when it comes to playmaking.
The former Zenit attacker set up both of Al Hilal's goals, creating three chances in total and registering a pass accuracy of 92.6 per cent, better than any of his team-mates.
Former Spain boss Del Bosque to oversee RFEF
Former Spain boss Vicente del Bosque will oversee a new committee supervising the RFEF.
Spain, which is due to be one of six host countries for the 2030 World Cup, announced the creation of a special committee until the federation holds elections to replace Luis Rubiales.
That is despite Pedro Rocha having this week been appointed as Rubiales' replacement, though he himself is under investigation amid a corruption probe.
Rubiales was dismissed following his unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso during the Women's World Cup trophy ceremony in 2023.
The federation's former president was then arrested in early April as part of a corruption investigation.
Del Bosque led Spain to three consecutive trophies, winning the European Championships in 2008 and 2012, while also leading the team to their first World Cup success in 2010.
Prior to his time with the national team, he also won two Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles while in charge of Real Madrid, where he made over 400 appearances as a player.
Preston 0-3 Leicester City: Foxes seal Championship title in style
Leicester City cruised to a 3-0 win over Preston in the Championship on Monday to clinch the title with a game to spare.
Jamie Vardy was the star for the Foxes as he scored in both halves before Kasey McAteer made sure of the points with an unmarked header.
Abdul Fatawu had the chance to cap an already memorable night for the travelling fans but hit the post with his curler.
Preston slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat, while Leicester go into their final game against Blackburn Rovers with the knowledge that they will lift the trophy after the final whistle.
Data Debrief
Jamie Vardy has scored 18 goals this season (two in this game), more than any other Leicester player in the competition. He has also netted in his last three games, scoring four goals in total.
It was a dominant performance from the Foxes, who had 19 shots with 11 of those on target. At the other end, Preston only managed to test Jakub Stolarczyk once from their five attempts.
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