Alexander-Arnold has developed into one of the stars of this Liverpool team

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s routine clicks into gear as soon as the referee sprays his foam white line on the pitch. He places the ball down and takes three steps backwards, parallel to the goal. There is the briefest of pauses and then another step, this time to his right. A moment to visualise where he will aim, a deep breath, a few quick steps on the spot and, finally, the strike.

The first time Alexander-Arnold adopted this free-kick drill he found the top corner of Ben Foster’s net in a Liverpool victory away to Watford last season. The methodical sequence has become ingrained.

“If you look to rugby union and Jonny Wilkinson, then the routine that he did before every kick is memorable,” the right back,