‘Destroyed’ - Liverpool star names Rangers flop as toughest opponent he’s faced during Under-21 match

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has named former Rangers winger Brandon Barker as one of the toughest opponents he has faced.

The 25-year-old right back, who has made 280 appearances for the Premier League giants since making his first-team debut in October 2016, recalled facing up to pacey wide man Barker during an Under-21s match earlier that year just eight months before making his senior breakthrough.

Alexander-Arnold has established himself as one of his boyhood club’s key performers under the management of Jurgen Klopp. But like most players, he had to come through the youth set-up where success is far from guaranteed.

And it was a convincing 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in February 2016 that stood out to the Anfield star when asked to name a tough opponent that people perhaps won’t know a great deal about.

Despite playing alongside highly-rated ex-Ibrox ace Ryan Kent and Welsh international Harry Wilson, it was Barker who dominated proceedings as he scored once and set up another in a match which City could easily have added more to their goals tally had it not been for some important saves from keeper Adam Bogdan.

Speaking on the We Are Liverpool Podcast, Alexander-Arnold said: “I would say Brandon Barker (was a tough opponent). He played for City. I was 18 and I played for the (Under-) 21s for the first ever time at Anfield. We got beat 3-0 and he scored two and got an assist. He came off at 60 (minutes) and it was, still to this day, the opponent that I think just destroyed me, man.

“I had never had it like that before. At that point I’m thinking this kid is going to be the best player in the world because I’d never seen someone move so quickly and so sharp and effectively.”

Things haven’t gone to play for ex-England youth international Barker since then and he still remains a free agent since leaving his latest club in the summer.

Having joined Manchester City’s academy at the age of eight and moved up through the age groups, Barker scored nine goals in 35 appearancs for the Under-21 side before making his professional debut as a substitute in a 5-1 defeat by Chelsea (Feb 2016).

It turned out to be his only appearance for the Sky Blues and he was subsequently loaned out to Rotherham, NAC Breda in the Eredivisie, Hibernian and Preston North End in successive seasons between 2016 and 2019 before Rangers boss Steven Gerrard snapped him up as a 22-year-old.

Labelled as an “important signing” at the time by Gerrard, Barker’s spell at Ibrox ultimately proved disappointing. He made just six Premiership starts in two and a half seasons and spent a period on loan with Oxford United.

In February last year, he quit the Glasgow giants to join Reading on a short-term deal until the end of the season, but he wasn’t kept on that summer. A surprise move to Cyprus followed to play under former Celtic manager Neil Lennon at Onomia Nicosia, whom he worked with during his stint at Easter Road.

“When I came here I was a little scared at first because I left my home,” Barker admitted. “But, I think I have made a very good choice. The main reason I came here was because of Neil Lennon. It definitely made my decision easier because we knew each other before.”

However, Lennon was sacked after just six months and Barker was later released at the end of the 2022/23 season. To this day, he still finds himself searching for a new club.