Jamie Carragher slams Gareth Southgate's decision to pick Kieran Trippier over 'world-class' Trent Alexander-Arnold as England's right wing back against Switzerland

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Jamie Carragher expressed his shock after learning that Gareth Southgate had chosen to select Kieran Trippier to start at right wing back in England's Euro 2024 quarter-final clash with Switzerland.

England manager Southgate opted to change his formation from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-3 ahead of the game in Dusseldorf.

Kyle Walker had been England's starting right back in their first four games of the tournament but Southgate prefers to use the Manchester City captain as a central defender when playing with three at the back.

Therefore, Southgate was left with a straight choice between Newcastle skipper Trippier - who has played at left back so far this summer - and Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Carragher - who won 38 senior international caps for England and represented Liverpool 737 times during his playing career - is adamant that Alexander-Arnold should have been the man to get the nod.

Kieran Trippier (left) was chosen ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold (right) to start for England in Saturday's Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland 

England boss Gareth Southgate (pictured at a press conference on Friday) rates Trippier highly

Reacting to Saturday's team news on Sky Sports, Carragher said: 'Kieran Trippier has done a decent job at left back. He's picked him over Trent Alexander-Arnold, which I just cannot fathom at all. I mean, that's not the Liverpool fan in me.'

Alexander-Arnold started England's first two Euros group games in central midfield, despite right back being his most regular position at club level.

Carragher claimed that he agreed with Southgate's decision to pick Walker ahead of Alexander-Arnold but that the 25-year-old was vastly superior to Trippier.

'For a long time, I've always felt it was right that Kyle Walker played right back for England,' Carragher explained. 'I thought it was right that Gareth experimented with Trent in midfield because he's got, obviously, world-class ability on the ball. It didn't quite work and he had to be taken out of the team.

'But the reason that you'd play Trippier over Trent, I just can't get my head around. The only reason would be that Kieran has played maybe a few more games, maybe he trusts him. But when you say defensively, the whole point of playing three at the back is to release your wing backs. And you've got Kyle Walker behind you, he's the quickest player in the squad to mop up anything if you get caught out defensively.

'So to not put Trent in that position, I cannot believe that one. I must be honest, I can't. I can only imagine where his head is right now in this tournament. But Kieran Trippier is a player who Gareth trusts, he puts him in. Whether it be left back, right back, right wing back, left wing back, he always seems to find a place for him. But I would have played Trent in that position.

Jamie Carragher (pictured) thinks Southgate should have picked Alexander-Arnold instead

Tripper and Alexander-Arnold pictured hugging after England's 1-0 win over Serbia in Group C

Asked if he felt sorry for Alexander-Arnold, Carragher replied: 'Yeah I do. But, listen, I played in the era when there was a lot of great centre backs. I very rarely played for England and Trent has come through in an era where there was a lot of great right backs.

'Now, Kyle Walker's obviously getting older and I think after this tournament, Trent Alexander-Arnold has to be England's right back, whether that's in a back four or a back five. You have to give him his head because he's too good of a player.

'But, Kieran Trippier, as I said, he's a good player. He hasn't had a great season at Newcastle. He's done okay for England. He's done a really solid job at left back, as well as he could possibly do. But, to play ahead of Trent, I just don't see that at all.

'Trent has got world-class ability. Kieran Trippier is just a very good player who at times had a difficult season for Newcastle. So, yeah, I do feel for him in this one. A lot of people were saying they felt for him in terms of going into midfield and then getting dropped. But, you know, he was given his chance in two games in midfield and he didn't really produce. Or the rest of the team didn't produce as well.

'So, I felt, you know, you have to accept that he's taken out the team. But, this one I think will be a really tough pill to swallow for him.'