'I joked I'd give him ?500 if he scored' ? did Trent Alexander-Arnold's left-back experiment work?
Trent Alexander-Arnold may have once again been playing out of position for his country but it was a familiar tale for the full-back when he curled a sublime free-kick into the top corner.
A trademark finish that Liverpool fans have become accustomed to over the years, but one that might cost his Three Lions team-mate Jack Grealish.
"I joked to Trent before the free-kick, 'score this I will give you 500 quid', and he slapped it in top bin," Grealish told ITV after the 3-1 Uefa Nations League victory.
Alexander-Arnold's superb 25-yard free-kick came after Grealish had slotted in the opener and before Declan Rice's close-range effort sealed England's success in Helsinki.
It also came despite the 26-year-old playing in the unfamiliar role of left-back, a position he has thought to have never occupied for club or country with the right side being his favoured option.
The switch marked interim England boss Lee Carsley's latest attempt at experimenting with his squad, having fielded a team without a striker in Thursday's 2-1 defeat to Greece.
At Euro 2024, former boss Gareth Southgate dabbled with playing Alexander-Arnold as a central midfielder, but he was ultimately missing from the latter stages of the competition after failing to impress in the role in the group stages.
From left-back, Alexander-Arnold was heavily involved and showed creativity as well as scoring his magnificent free-kick.
But defensive errors and concerns remain and regardless of his position in the team, his presence often splits opinion.
