With the return of Baller League UK upon us, a smattering of former professionals are rising back to the fore as they look to impact proceedings at the Copper Box Arena in London. Henri Lansbury, formerly of Arsenal, and two-time Premier League winner Joleon Lescott are among those who are participating in the influencer-led football league.
Elsewhere, Michael Hector and Bruno Andrade are combining to play for Rukkas FC – a team spearheaded by manager and popular actor Ibris Elba – and they are joined by a player who was named as the ‘toughest opponent’ that Trent Alexander-Arnold has ever faced.
From Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo to Mohamed Salah, the Real Madrid defender – who, albeit controversially, moved from Liverpool to Los Blancos in the summer – explained why Brandon Barker, who now plays for Kettering Town in the Southern League Premier Division Central, was his hardest opponent of all time.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Brandon Barker played 41 times for Manchester City’s Under-21s and recorded 17 goal contributions (10 goals and seven assists).
Born and raised in Manchester, Barker left the Premier League outfit in the summer of 2019 as a means of earning more gametime – but, despite his evident talent, he’s been unable to make it count when it matters the most: in games. But what did Alexander-Arnold have to say about the now-29-year-old back in the day?
Alexander-Arnold Heaps Praise on Ex-City Academy Star Barker
As mentioned, Alexander-Arnold – who is, for good reason, widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in the history of the Premier League – has been tasked with marking some of the most dangerous stars of the modern era. Back in 2023, while speaking on Liverpool’s official YouTube channel, the Englishman said:
“I would say Brandon Barker, played for City. I was playing for the Under-21s, first ever time at Anfield, got beat 3-0. He scored two and got an assist. I came off at 60 minutes.”
“Still, to this day, he’s the opponent I think that just destroyed me, man. I’ve never had it like that before,” a 24-year-old Alexander-Arnold continued before adding: “At that point, I’m thinking, ‘This kid is going to be the best player in the world’. Because I’d never seen someone move so quickly and sharp, effectively.”
Earlier this year, the left-winger spoke to The Athletic in a tell-all interview – and he thanked Alexander-Arnold for his kind words before giving his recollection of the match. “I’m sure he’s had more difficult games, given some of the superstars he’s played against, but it’s nice of him to say it. I’d never played against him before,” he said.
“He looked very young and he was very small and skinny, whereas I was already established at that level. But I was pretty good that day, to be fair.”
On his experience rubbing shoulders with the stars in first-team training, he added: “But it was after I got my speed, when I was around 15 or 16, that I started to feel I had a real chance. Training with players like David Silva, Yaya Toure, an amazing experience.
Watch Brandon Barker’s masterclass against Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool below:
“They’re two of the best players I’ve seen – especially David, like, wow, unbelievable. But technically I always felt I could handle it. I’d played for England in all the age group teams. I felt I could handle anything. They had a plan in place for me. It obviously wasn’t executed in a way everyone hoped, but they definitely had a plan for me.”
Barker Picked Up by Idris Elba’s Rukkas FC at Baller League
Ahead of Baller League returning to Sky Sports, the final draft was conducted on Monday 6 October – and 48 players have now been selected ahead of things getting underway later this month. John Terry’s 26ers, Chloe Kelly’s Clutch FC and YouTuber Sharky’s SDS FC, who won the first instalment in the summer of 2025, have all returned in pursuit of glory.
In the second series of the ever-popular Baller League, Barker has combined forces with Ibris Elba, who has formed a new team in the second season of the UK-based tournament, which takes place on Mondays. He’ll be playing alongside the likes of Hector and Andrade; while Hashtag United forward Toby Aromolaran is also on his side.
Barker joined the City academy at the tender age of eight, full of excitement and promise like many others, but ultimately the fleet-footed forward failed to make it. He made one senior appearance for the club – against Chelsea in the FA Cup in 2016 – but spent most of his time embarking on loan spells with Rotherham United, NAC Breda, Preston North End and north of the border with Hibernian.