Liverpool superstar Trent Alexander-Arnold claims that former Rangers star Brandon Barker is the best player he has faced who never made it to the top level.

The pair played against each other when Barker was coming through the ranks at Manchester City, and Alexander-Arnold told LFC TV that there was one Under 21 fixture where he simply could not deal with the winger:

“I would say Brandon Barker, played for [Manchester] City. I was 18, playing for the Under-21s, first ever time at Anfield, got beat 3-0. He scored two and got an assist. I came off at 60 [minutes]. Still to this day, he’s the opponent I think that just destroyed me, man.”

“I’ve 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 sharp and effectively, so I’d say Brandon Barker.”

Barker never hit the heights at Rangers

Manager Steven Gerrard brought the England youth international to Ibrox in the summer of 2019. He would have seen the performances of Barker as a youth player, and he was clearly hoping that he could unlock his potential so he could perform at senior level.

However, things simply didn’t happen for Barker in Glasgow. Over a two and a half year period, he scored 3 goals and provided 0 assists in 27 appearances.

What happened after Barker left the Gers?

After having his contract terminated by mutual consent in January 2022, the winger joined English Championship side Reading soon afterward. He spent just six months at the Royals before moving to Omonia Nicosia.

In Cyprus, he linked up with ex-Celtic boss Neil Lennon, who he had worked with during a loan spell at Hibernian. However, after the Northern Irishman’s sacking in October last year, he fell out of favour and left on a free transfer a couple of months ago. The 27-year-old is still searching for a new team.

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