Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold admitted it took him some time for him to be able to control his temper when he began playing football.
The 21-year-old came through the academy with the Reds and in the last two seasons has become one of the best full-backs in the world.
It has not always been an easy ride for Alexander-Arnold, however, who admitted he had a few anger issues while he was growing up.
When asked in an interview with GQ about coaches’ comments about his temperament, he said: “I wasn’t angry all the time, just maybe overly competitive at times, because I wanted to win so much that if I didn’t, then obviously I’d be upset.
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“I’d be angry – angry at myself that I hadn’t won something. That comes from a young age.
“Doing anything with my brothers, we’d be competitive all the time in anything that we ever did. So, for me, it was normal to be angry if you didn’t win.”
After being pressed on whether his emotions often got the better of him, Alexander-Arnold added: “Yeah, because it would make you lose concentration in the game.
“You’d be focused on your mistakes and, say, if you gave a foul away or gave a penalty away, you made a mistake to cost your team a goal. You’re kicking yourself, and then for the next five minutes you’re out of the game, or your team is down to ten men.
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“The control of your temperament will be the same as practising your passing, your receiving, your skill sets, your shooting, your crossing. The mentality side of it is just as important as the technical side of the game.”
Alexander-Arnold was having another sensational season before football was suspended, and had created 12 assists and scored twice in 29 Premier League games.
