Without James, and with White in self-exile, the late-Gareth Southgate era saw the former coach essentially choosing between the unique creative talent of Alexander-Arnold and the security of Kyle Walker. More often than not, he plumped for the latter, as Tuchel did in his first game in charge. At the start of last summer’s Euros, Southgate even tried to shoehorn both into one team, before abandoning the experiment not a moment too soon.
