This summer is a hectic time for national football sides around the globe. FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers are underway with Europe conference matches resuming in September. The Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo loom right around the corner.
As usual, the Reds are represented in the international mix. According to Transfermarkt, there are currently 22 Liverpool first-teamers on national team rosters.
That’s the upside.
A little unusual is Liverpool’s absence from the England national side. Right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and centre-back Joe Gomez are notably sidelined from Gareth Southgate’s England side with injuries.
Let’s look at a few details about Reds currently putting on the kits of their native sides.
Liverpool’s Favoured Nations
Merseyside extends friendly reaches near and far with handshakes to neighbouring Wales and south across the Atlantic to Pelé’s home turf.
Wales and Brazil each boast three Reds on their national teams. Right-back Neco Williams, right-winger Harry Wilson, and attacking midfielder Ben Woodburn appear for Rob Page’s Wales side
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Meanwhile, defensive midfielder Fabinho, centre-forward Roberto Firmino, and goalkeeper Alisson are competing under Manager Tite, and the results are coming up roses so far.
Fabinho recently made his first national start in two years when Brazil toppled Peru 4-0 to remain perfect in Copa America competition. The move bolsters an already hot side. Brazil is in first place among all South American qualifiers.
O Captain! My Captain!
Midfielder Jordan Henderson commands the captain’s chair at Liverpool. Did you know there are also two additional captains patrolling the pitch at Anfield for the time being? And a former captain for that matter.
Andy Robertson is the captain of the Scotland National squad, a distinction the stalwart left-back has held since September 2018. And when outgoing midfielder Gini Wijnaldum returns home, he captains the Netherlands national team. Wijnaldum just happened to replace Reds centre-back Virgil van Dijk at the Netherlands helm in 2020. Van Dijk had served as captain since March 2018.
However, Wijnaldum’s days in the Reds kit are numbered, due to his pending transfer to Paris Saint-Germain on 1 July. The jury is out on the potential talent that will replace him.
A Dearth on the Homefront
Right now, Henderson is notably the only Reds member suiting up for England. This development comes in the wake of lingering injuries to Alexander-Arnold and Gomez.
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Alexander-Arnold is hampered by the thigh injury he suffered in national competition against Austria on 2 June. Gomez continues to come back from his knee surgery last year. England had zero active Liverpool players as recently as March’s international break.
Perhaps there’s more hope with the next generation. Central midfielder Curtis Jones and centre-back Rhys Williams take the pitch for England’s U21 squad.
The Challenges of Overplaying
This summer’s aggressive schedules don’t necessarily benefit the well-being of players. In fact, the effect of fixture congestion leading to injury is receiving scrutiny, including Liverpool input.
Jürgen Klopp has joined Jose Mourinho in an increasingly loud chorus of Premier League managers citing the need to reduce workloads for the preservation of player health.
Here’s how Reds players are currently shaking out among their national teams:
| Player | Position | National Team |
| Alisson | Goalkeeper | Brazil |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold* | Right-Back | England |
| Fabinho | Defensive Midfield | Brazil |
| Roberto Firmino | Centre-Forward | Brazil |
| Joe Gomez* | Centre-Back | England |
| Jordan Henderson | Central Midfield | England |
| Diogo Jota | Left Winger | Portugal |
| Ozan Kabak | Centre-Back | Turkey |
| Naby Keita | Central Midfield | Guinea |
| Caoimhin Kelleher | Goalkeeper | Ireland |
| Sadio Mané | Left Winger | Senegal |
| Divock Origi | Centre-Forward | Belgium |
| Andy Robertson | Left-Back | Scotland |
| Mohamed Salah | Right Winger | Egypt |
| Xherdan Shaqiri | Right Winger | Switzerland |
| Thiago | Central Midfield | Spain |
| Konstantinos Tsimikas | Central Midfield | Greece |
| Virgil van Dijk | Centre-Back | Netherlands |
| GiniWijnaldum | Central Midfield | Netherlands |
| Neco Williams | Right-Back | Wales |
| Harry Wilson | Right Winger | Wales |
| Ben Woodburn | Attacking Midfield | Wales |
*Denotes injured player
The 22 Liverpool players competing for national teams comprise over 56 percent of the Reds’ first-team roster. Seventeen footballers on Klopp’s squad don’t play for a national side.
