Alan Shearer Exclusive: There are not many England players who can do what Trent can do | OneFootball

Alan Shearer

Alan gives his exclusive views on the England national team

Alan Shearer was very impressed with England during the international break and in his latest exclusive he believes that Lee Carsley could be named the permanent manager any day now, as well as discussing key players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane...

Plenty of positives for and from Lee Carsley

I thought England impressed over the international break. I think when you look at the opposition, it was similar to the standard they were facing in the Euros, especially in the group stages, and they struggled to break teams down, and they weren't as effective in the summer.

However, I thought England in Lee Carsley's first two games against Ireland and Finland were certainly effective.

I think Lee has done the job that he would've wanted to do. They were certainly very impressive against the Republic of Ireland in that first half. They were a little bit flatter in the second half but that's difficult to judge because they'd done the job, and everyone relaxes a little bit.

There have been some impressive performances across the park, too. I think Jack Grealish was excellent in both games. Declan Rice, particularly the first game I thought was superb. Angel Gomes, I thought he was brilliant last night on his full debut.

Anthony Gordon too was brilliant; I think we were all saying during the Euros that with Harry Kane, he needs pace running past him if he's going to come short. Players need to be running in behind and that was always a threat in both games for England.

Without a doubt, there are plenty of positives for England, good results and something to carry on and look forward to.

Trent epitomised the freedom the team was given

We heard both Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane mention the word freedom, and one name who springs to mind when I think about the freedom England had under Lee this last week, was Trent Alexander-Arnold.

I think he put in two player of the match performances, and I think he summed up what may have been missing in terms of the freedom people mention. In his previous role, he wasn't really trusted in doing what he's done over the last couple of games.

I know Gareth Southgate played him in the centre of midfield in a couple of games but his position in the two under Lee Carsley has been totally different. One similar to the one he plays and looks so effective in at Liverpool.

Trent is an unbelievable talent. For someone who's making a run, his ability to find them is incredible and there aren't many England players who can do what he can do. If he's got time on the ball to pick his head up, more often than not, he'll find that pass.

His range of passing ability, his range of crossing, and it's not just the range, it's also the pace of it. When he pings the ball into someone's feet; that's a lot easier to handle than a ball that's bobbled in.

When you make a run, you don't want to be disappointed when no one finds you. That's not the case with Trent. When you make that run, he will find you just because of his pure ability.

He looked so comfortable playing the role he did with England and I think it was important for Lee to find a role for Trent because he's just too good not to be playing for England.

Grealish was back to his old Villa self

Jack Grealish lined up in the #10 role to begin with, but he was given the freedom to go and play wherever he wanted. If one player moved from the left or the right then he could go and do that, and you could tell he was enjoying himself.

He looked like the player that we saw at Aston Villa years ago when he was playing with great freedom, to go and do what he wanted and to get on the ball in any position that he wanted.

When Jack moved toward the middle, we had the pace down either wing with Gordon or Saka for when Harry Kane did come short, particularly in the game against the Republic of Ireland.

We all saw that great run from Anthony Gordon when Kane came short, who ran in behind and had that opportunity which then created that first goal from the superb pass from Trent. That sums up the freedom that the players had, particularly in those positions.

Plenty of players played with freedom and an openness to go and express themselves which helped England.

If Grealish plays regularly for City, he must be picked for England

One of the problems Jack has had is that he's up against such great competition at Man City, so he may not play on a regular basis if everyone's fit. It's the same for England, that #10 position is so strong; you've got Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, and Cole Palmer, who's yet to come back in, so the strength in forward positions for England is immense.

However, if Jack can play on a regular basis for Man City it'll be very difficult for the England manager not to pick him. The Grealish we've seen in the last two games for England leaves no doubt he can be a huge asset for England.

Lee should be judged on results, not the national anthem

Lee Carsley admitted before the first game that he hadn't sang the National anthem as a player for Ireland, and I watched his interview after the game against Finland where he said that he wasn't comfortable at times in doing what he had to do, which is fine and understandable.

No one needs to judge him on that.

I think what he'll be judged on is results and the way England are playing, and you can't fault him for the two games he's had. He's been given a wonderful opportunity, and he needed the team to respond in terms of results and performances and I think the team has certainly done that for him.

Lee hasn't done his chances any harm whatsoever. In fact, he'll have done them the world of good. There'll be people behind the scenes now looking at what has happened in the last two games, and whilst that'll be hard to judge because, truth be told, they weren't the greatest opposition, that's not his fault and not his problem.

All he can do is win games and win them in style and I think for large parts in both games, England did that.

Lee could be given the job anytime soon

It wouldn't surprise me if Lee Carsley was named the permanent manager now because what more can he do?

He's had the two games, and the players have responded to him. Whenever the players have been interviewed over the last eight or nine days, they've spoken well about him too.

There are players who've worked with him before and he gave them an opportunity alongside the senior pros, and no-one let him down, they performed.

The experienced players have also said they enjoyed the environment that he created so he's done his chances the world of good and it wouldn't surprise me at all if, in the coming weeks or months, he was given the job on a full-time basis.

Harry Kane could break Peter Shilton's England appearance record

Harry Kane is a phenomenal footballer and an incredible goalscorer. I know that feeling that he has, and I know that his thirst, desire, and hunger to get out and score goals is still there.

There were question marks against him at the Euros, and he said himself that he didn't perform the way he wanted, and I don't think he was the only one, so when people are asking questions, you as an individual have the opportunity to put that right.

What better way to do that than to score goals like he has done for the vast majority of his career and to do so again on his 100th cap.

He's England's greatest goalscorer and it wouldn't surprise me if he went on and became the record appearance holder and broke Peter Shilton's record too.

Yes, he'll have to stay around for another couple of years to do that but when he's performing, and, when he's got pace in and around him like England have had in the last two games, then he's an incredible player to have and he'll continue to score goals.

Kane can carry on at this level for another 3/4 years

I know Harry spoke about wanting to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored more goals last week at the age of 39, but seven or eight more years might be pushing it.

I know Ronaldo still scores goals but whether Kane can remains to be seen. Having said that, I do see Harry playing for another three or four years and I think the key is to get runners and to get pace in and around him.

England had that, with Gordon and with Saka, and Kane has proven that there's no one better for England than him when it comes to creating chances and putting the ball in the back of the net.

His record is phenomenal and whenever he's played, especially for England, he's never let anyone down. He got his 100th cap and another two goals to end a fantastic night.

I think he can go on for another three or four years playing at that level without a doubt.

Fair play to Rice, but I'd have celebrated like Grealish did

When I scored, I always celebrated, whether that was when I scored against Southampton or Blackburn. I think we as forwards get paid to go out and score goals and whatever club I played for knew that if I scored, I was celebrating.

That wasn't a slant or disrespect on any other clubs I'd played for.

When I played for Blackburn and scored against Newcastle, I went wild and celebrated, and when I played for Newcastle against Blackburn and all the other clubs that I played for, there was no way I wasn't celebrating.

I loved it when Jack Grealish scored and celebrated against Ireland. I understand it if Declan Rice didn't want to celebrate his goal, that's his prerogative but for me, I loved Jack Grealish's celebration and that's exactly what I would have done too.