Jurgen Klopp has been speaking about the impact of our young guns in the four FA Cup games this season, and has said they have all earned the right to be considered for a league game.
“It was a perfect moment for us to let them off the leash and let us show how strong our faith is in them and for them to show how good they are. It brought us great joy to watch these boys,” said the boss.
“If you think about Kevin Stewart and his situation a few weeks ago (injured after loan spell at Swindon), then games like this are perfect. I think it’s very difficult for him to get the smile off his face at the moment, okay maybe the pain in his foot makes it more easy!
“The same for Pedro Chirivella, it was a great perfomance. I think it’s the biggest honour you can get in a game like this that Mr (Mark) Noble got the job to look after you. That’s a really, really good thing.” (via Echo)
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Perhaps the funniest part of the whole interview, however, came when he was specifically asked about Tiago Ilori.
The Portuguese international spent 2014/15 on loan at Bordeaux and the first half on 2015/16 on loan at Villa before being recalled by Klopp in January.
“When I first came here I didn’t know he was an LFC player to be honest. Of course not, he was at Aston Villa,” said the German.
“Time after time I got information about all the players who were on loan, I saw him,a centre-half, and you heard about the problems and you know he didn’t play at Aston Villa, not even in the second team.
“We got him here and you see then the potential. That’s good but they have all to learn, all to improve but they gave the sign but it is one sign.”
Ilori has impressed since returning, and could well get minutes in the coming weeks as our defence continues to creak.