The Merseyside Derby jubilation in the FA Cup has not only laid bare the lack of quality in the Everton side but it also showed that Liverpool’s academy and their reserves are the strongest going around in the country. After James Milner’s withdrawal less than 10 minutes into that game, the average age of the Liverpool outfield players was less than 23, but the way they controlled the game in the second half showed the work that has been put in the academy as well, closely monitored by Jurgen Klopp.
There are a number of names that are already exciting fans, who expect a few of them to break into the first team, sooner than later.
Here are three such youngsters who can follow Trent Alexander-Arnold into the senior side in months to come.
Harvey Elliott
Easily one of the most exciting teenagers on show in Europe at the moment, Elliott has hardly put a foot wrong since joining Liverpool from Fulham in the summer. His off the field antics may have taken the headlines early in his Liverpool career but the 16-year-old has been a regular in the cup competitions for the club this season and hardly failed to impress.
He is yet to score or create a goal for the senior side but in the few outings that he has got, he was at times the player the squad turned to, for creativity. He came on for his league debut earlier this month and with the fixture list piling up, he may not even take months to break into the first team as a regular option.
Neco Williams
A pleasant introduction to the first team for Liverpool, Williams, has caught the eye of many with his performances in the League Cup and the FA Cup recently. An energetic presence up and down the flank, the right-back is highly rated by the Welsh national team as well, where he has been a regular for the U19s for a while now.
A great crosser of the ball, the 18-year-old is also an athletic defender, and showed his prowess against one of the best wingers in the league in Richarlison, in the derby. He is yet to play in the league but is now making the bench in almost every match-day squad and it might not be long before he offers a viable option to Trent whenever the latter needs to be given a day off.
Curtis Jones
A Scouser scoring the winner in a Merseyside derby will always be an instant hit with the fans of the club. But Jones has done more than just score that screamer at Anfield on Sunday. The 18-year-old currently sports the captain’s armband for the U19s but every chance he gets, he has proven that he is ready for first-team action.
Speaking after the Everton game, Klopp was confident that Jones will be a first-team star in the near future, if ‘nothing strange happens’. Jones will obviously be happy to wait for a chance to play for his boyhood club and might be the first of three on this list to cement his place in the senior side.
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