Rio Ferdinand says he has not seen a right-back as impressive as Trent Alexander-Arnold since Cafu.
The Liverpool defender was enjoying another superb season before the Premier League was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Alexander-Arnold has registered 12 assists this campaign, a tally bettered by only Kevin De Bruyne.
And Ferdinand has praised the England international as an "absolutely mad footballer".
“Trent Alexander, I saw him against Atletico Madrid at Anfield. If any kid right-back wants to watch a player in today’s modern game play right-back, get that 45-minute clip," he said on Instagram.
“The way he controlled the game from right-back, the last person I’ve seen do something like that is maybe Cafu.
“He played every pass in the book; outside of the boot, cross-field fade, sprayed it far and wide across the pitch, whipped it behind the defence. He done everything.
“Trent is an absolute mad footballer, I don’t care what anyone says, he plays for Liverpool and I don’t care, the kid can play.
“As good a passer about, he’s up there, you talk about the De Bruynes of this world, I’m not going too far or overcooking it to say that Trent Alexander is in around them boys when talking about top passers, and he’s at right-back by the way. Unheard of.
“You weren’t seeing Gary Neville pass the ball like that, as good as Neville was he couldn’t pass the ball like Trent Alexander.”
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has also earned plaudits for his performances for Manchester United this season, but Ferdinand believes Alexander-Arnold is still ahead in England's right-back pecking order.
“I don’t know," he added. "Right now it has to be Trent, because he’s experienced, he’s played in two Champions League finals, won one, was in a team that should’ve won the league and has been consistent.”
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