BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand claims Reece James’ physicality and his ability to score goals make him a better all-round player than Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.

There has been a fierce debate about who should start on the right flank for England at the World Cup, and Ferdinand has nailed his colours to the mast by backing the Chelsea defender:

“Reece James is ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold right now,” Ferdinand told FIVE. “If I’m a winger, I look at who I don’t want to play against more out of the two of them and it would be Reece James. I think physically Reece James can match people defensively and going forward is ridiculous. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s passing I would say arguably is better over varied distances but I think Reece will score more goals. He’s in there so much.”

If Gareth Southgate is going to play with wingbacks then there is no doubt that James is the better option. Unlike Alexander-Arnold, he plays the position week in and week out for his club.

As Ferdinand mentions, his strengths in one-on-one defending, combined with his superior finishing ability mean it really isn’t much of a contest.

When you also consider Alexander-Arnold’s poor form at the start of the season, it’s not a surprise to see the Liverpool fullback kicking his heels on the bench while James played the full 90 minutes against Italy on Friday.