Arnold might end his career with a bigger legacy than any in the last decade

THERE’S a mural on a wall down Sybil Road, just across the way from Anfield, with a picture of Trent Alexander-Arnold in his now-iconic No 66 shirt, with the words, ‘I’m just a normal lad from Liverpool whose dream has just come true’. It is an inspiration to many young kids.

We all know the story of Alexander-Arnold’s rise. The 25-year-old will take the armband once Virgil van Dijk leaves - which to avoid any worries, is no time soon, with no fears of the skipper moving on. But aside from that, Alexander-Arnold is quickly becoming a talismanic figure.

Alongside the aforementioned Van Dijk and top scorer Mohamed Salah, plus near-perfect goalkeeper Alisson, all-action Alexander-Arnold has established himself as irreplaceable in the spine of Jurgen Klopp’s team.

But aside from his role as creator-in-chief from right back, plus a goal threat and ever-improving defender, Alexander-Arnold might end his career with a bigger legacy than any in the last decade and that is the amount of kids he has inspired and later advised in his leadership role.

Liverpool have always been proud of their academy but it had stalled slightly in the decade before Alexander-Arnold broke through, in terms of generational talents at least. Curtis Jones, a regular in the XI when fit and a vastly underrated gem, is another success story.

That pair have inspired a generation and the Reds academy is now thriving. In the FA Cup tie at Arsenal a fortnight ago, 10 of Liverpool’s 20 players in the matchday squad were graduates of youth teams at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby.

Some of those fluctuate between the senior team and development sides, such as Bobby Clark, who came on for an impressive cameo in midfield at the Emirates and then played for the Under