Youngest ever Liverpool player also included…
The first-team is struggling right now, but there’s an abundance of superb young players hoping to follow in the footsteps of Raheem Sterling and make the step up in the coming years…
We haven’t included Jordon Ibe in the list, because he’s playing regular Championship football with Derby, but still have very high hopes for the rapid English winger!
Here’s the six academy stars you should keep the closest eye out for…
6) Jordan Rossiter
The local lad made his full debut earlier this season in the League Cup, and scored a goal, much to the delight of the watching Kop. He’s not 18 until March, and is technically very able. Rossiter can pass, and for someone so small (he’s 5 ft. 7′), he’s actually pretty feisty, and enjoys a tackle. There are doubts at the moment whether he’ll every have the physical capabilities to be a top Premier League midfielder, but his talent will hopefully make up for it.
5) Pedro Chirivella
Rated as ‘The Next Xabi Alonso,’ Chirivella arrived from Valencia for £200k when he was 16, and is one of the most technically gifted players in the academy. So much so, Real Madrid are reportedly lining up a deal to bring him back to Spain. Chirivella is composed in possession, passes the ball simply but crisply, and provides a solid platform at the base of midfield.
4) Jerome Sinclair
Sinclair is still the youngest player to have ever represented the first-team, a sign of his significant talent. He’s a pacy forward, who likes to dribble, and can shoot powerfully off either foot with a very short back lift. Sinclair scores a bucket load for the Under-18s and the Under-21s, but teenage forwards are rarely given options to lead the line by themselves, especially at huge clubs like Liverpool. A loan move could help him fulfil his undeniable potential.
3) Yan Dhanda
Dhanda is one of the real stars of the England U-17 team, and could become the first ever player of Indian heritage to represent the Reds. We won the race for his heavily coveted signature when he was 14, bringing him in from West Brom for a compensatory fee. Dhanda plays on the left wing, where like most modern wide-men, he looks to cut in and shoot on his natural right foot. Like more than one player on this list, he loves to dribble, has excellent quick feet, and can handle the ball in tight situations.
2) Harry Wilson
Wilson is 17-years-old and yet to play for the first-team, yet he’s already represented Wales at full international level – winning a cap as a 16-year-old in 2013. Wilson has bags of pace, and is rated extremely highly by the club, who offered him his first professional deal earlier this year. He can operate on either wing, is two-footed, and has the ability to score and create goals.
1) Sheyi Ojo
Rumours were rife that Ojo would make the bench for Liverpool’s Champions League tie with Ludogorets, thanks to his jaw-dropping form with the youth teams this season. Ojo has looked on a simply different level to his peers in recent months, and will make his Liverpool debut this term if he carries on at the same level. In short, he’s got it all. Ojo’s fast and powerful, but most importantly; he can do things with the ball at his feet at considerable pace. He scores goals regularly for England youth sides too, and can play anywhere along the front line – like most top notch attacking midfielders nowadays. Fans should keep a very close eye on Ojo’s development, and look forward to a possibly upcoming debut…
