Alexander-Arnold has a long way to go before reaching status of Cafu

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Trent Alexander-Arnold is without doubt one of the best young defenders in the world but Rio Ferdinand’s comparison to Cafu is wide of the mark.

The former England defender made the remarks about the Liverpool star during an Instagram Q&A.

During the Q&A, Ferdinand insisted young players go and watch Alexander-Arnold’s display against Atletico. With those comments, the former Man Utd man claimed he hadn’t seen a full-back control a game like it since the likes of Cafu.

And while it’s a huge compliment to the young Liverpool star, he still has a long way to go to reach the status of one of Brazil’s, and football’s, all-time greats.

Nothing but success and consistency

When you think about Cafu, you think about trophies, leadership, and success.

He won the World Cup as a young man with Brazil in 1994 before starring for the South Americans once again as they took the trophy home in 2002.

Cafu has won all there is to win domestically both in Brazil and in Europe. Indeed, he was one of the key cogs in an AC Milan team in the mid-2000s that was as good as any team we’ve seen for a long while.

Add all this success into 142 caps for his country and a career that kept going until he was nearly 40, and it’s safe to say the Brazilian is something of a legendary figure.

On the right path but not there yet

Trent Alexander-Arnold is on the right track. There’s no denying he is flying at the moment and Jurgen Klopp has stumbled upon and then helped nurture a gem of a footballer.

But the test for the Liverpool man will come in the next decade, just as it did for Cafu.

Can he go on to have international success? Can he consistently win league titles and cups? Will he have the longevity and consistency to perform at the highest level for around 20 years?

These are, of course, questions that remain unanswered.

Everyone in England, and especially in Liverpool, hopes Alexander-Arnold can go on to massive success. However, for the time being, comparisons with Cafu need to be shot-down somewhat.