Liverpool FC: Better vision ramps up game for Trent Alexander-Arnold

­­Liverpool FC and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold teamed with a sports vision doctor to improve a game area new to many soccer scouts.

The most in-depth soccer scouting reports hone in on talents such as concentration, in addition to passing, dribbling, tackling, and – of course – playmaking. Liverpool FC defender Trent Alexander-Arnold seized the opportunity to improve his vision by coordinating with his brain.

The documentary Trent’s Vision covers his work with world-renowned opthalmologist Dr. Daniel Laby. Red Bull Media House produced the video.

The doctor works with Olympians, baseball Major Leaguers and NBA players. With the Liverpool star, he kicked off the sessions by first examining where Alexander-Arnold stood in his abilities, including his above-average eyesight.

Then Laby designed exercises that ranged from fun to frustrating – and in diplomatic terms, challenging. After the conventional eye test, all the technology except the virtual reality headset  looked like props from a 1960s science fiction film.

Alexander-Arnold took them all seriously and worked himself up to the challenge – including the near-impossible moving neon rings, through which he eventually lobbed a ball.

Laby explained in the documentary that even some seasoned professionals might shake their heads and pass the exercise, instead of passing the ball. Somehow, Trent pushed on. Laby explained further in an interview with MLS Multiplex.

“What was remarkable about Trent and as I have seen with other professional athletes, is the ability to adapt a technique that is not working for them to something that does work,” Dr. Laby says.

“The faster a player recognizes that something is not working as needed (failing), the faster they can adjust and succeed – it’s not only the ability to change, which is important but also the ability to quickly recognize the need to adapt and change.

“This is something Trent is very good at!”

Alexander-Arnold is such a dependable right-back for Liverpool that the biggest controversy involving him is finding a permanent backup. But recent scouting reports still suggest he could improve in aerial duels and tackling.

“We tested his depth perception as well as his timing – both skills that are critical to aerial duels and tackling. As you can imagine, each of these plays requires visual skills from the bottom of the vision pyramid to the top – albeit in different ratios, but all critical.”

The exercises sync Trent’s eyes and brain for better decisions in every aspect of his play. It started with target tracking.

“It wasn’t just target tracking, but multiple-target tracking that improved. Trent’s ability at the outset was low. He had a very nice increase bringing him to a point better than average. This has many applications in the game – especially in the ability to keep track of teammates as well as opponents as he maneuvers the ball on the pitch. Trent’s assists and performance during and following training suggests that this increased ability was of value to his game”

Dr. Laby’s technology is fascinating looking regardless of the sport emphasized. Yet, he created a new component specifically for Trent Alexander-Arnold. It’s the virtual reality component.

“It is a unique tool that is not commercially available and utilizes many technologies that until now were used independently of each other. The ability for an athlete to not just watch replays of games, but actually experience them again and get a second chance to make a play is a unique possibility that we afforded Trent during this project.

“Not only that, but we strained his visual abilities at the same time to test their resilience to perturbation and their ongoing effectiveness.”

This aspect of the training was a great surprise to Trent. And this article hasn’t revealed so much of the experience that you can enjoy the surprise, too.

Take a look at Trent’s Vision on the Red Bull Media site as soon as you can. It’s 47 minutes of your life that you’ll be grateful to have given. The improvement to his game will improve your understanding and enjoyment of soccer.

We’ll all enjoy an improved scouting report, no matter which side of the report we’re on.