Trent Alexander-Arnold reveals former Man City prospect he once believed would become ‘the best player in the world.’

Trent Alexander-Arnold has faced some of the greatest players in football, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappe. However, the Liverpool right-back named a lesser-known former Manchester City prospect as his toughest opponent—someone who “never made it.”

Having risen through Liverpool’s academy, Alexander-Arnold has played 344 games for the club, winning both the Premier League and Champions League. Over the years, he’s encountered many tricky opponents in matches against Manchester City, such as Jeremy Doku, Leroy Sane, and Raheem Sterling.

Yet, the player who troubled him the most was a relatively unknown figure. In an interview on Liverpool’s YouTube channel, Alexander-Arnold recalled struggling against Brandon Barker during an Under-21 match at Anfield. Barker’s performance left such an impression that the young right-back believed he was “going to be the best player in the world.”

Reflecting on the experience, Alexander-Arnold said:

“I would say Brandon Barker, who played for [Manchester] City. I was 18, playing for the Under-21s, first time at Anfield, and we lost 3-0. He scored twice and got an assist. I was subbed off after 60 minutes. To this day, he’s the one opponent who completely destroyed me. I’ve never been outplayed like that before. At the time, I thought, ‘This guy is going to be the best in the world’ because I had never seen someone move so quickly and effectively.”

Barker, a pacey left-winger, was highly rated at Manchester City and signed a professional contract in 2014. However, he only made one senior appearance for the club, coming on as a substitute in a 5-1 FA Cup defeat to Chelsea in 2016.

He later had loan spells at Rotherham United, NAC Breda, Hibernian, and Preston North End before permanently joining Rangers in 2019. Barker also played for Oxford United, Reading, Omonia, and Morecambe but found himself without a club after his last short-term deal expired.

Now, he has returned to football, signing with Non-League side Avro FC, who compete in the Northern Premier League Division One West. Announcing the signing, the club stated:

“We are delighted to welcome Brandon Barker. With experience at clubs like Man City, Hibernian, and Rangers, his quality will add attacking power to The Ro. Welcome to Avro, Brandon!”