Liverpool’s young winger Ryan Kent is under no illusions as to how he’ll eventually prove himself and get chances for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Kent is approaching his 20th birthday and despite being talented, realises it takes a lot more than that to be a Premier League regular.
Last term we loaned him to Coventry, where he notched once in League One and this campaign Klopp has sent him to Barnsley – where he’s made 14 appearances to date.
He’s only bagged one goal though which Kent knows he needs to improve on – and fast.
“I need to improve in terms of my numbers, an end-product” he told a press-conference before his team’s fixture with Burton. “I feel my performance levels have been good, but there’s nothing much to show for it at the moment. In the last year or so both here and at Coventry on loan last season, it’s clear I need to improve my end-product. I need to add numbers to my game.
“Assists, goals, it’s a key area for a forward player. It’s what keeps you in teams, it’s what managers want from you. It’s something I need to improve. And I’m working really hard on the training field to get better.”
Kent has caps for England Under-18s and Under-20s and a solitary FA Cup appearance for Liverpool’s first-team, but he’s hardly set the world alight this season.
If he starts scoring goals in the Championship though, he’ll certainly crop in Liverpool’s considerations at some point – although there’s many above him in the pecking order currently.