Billy Koumetio wowed Jurgen Klopp over the summer with not only his footballing pedigree but also his ability to learn and the manner in which he carried himself alongside the senior pros.
The teenager played in various friendlies and never looked out of place – and as a result – there is a real hope that one day he’ll be able to graduate through our ranks and provide an option as a possible first-teamer.
James Pearce has explained just how much Koumetio impressed during pre-season and that it didn’t go unnoticed by the first-teamers.
“The thing with Billy Koumetio is it wasn’t just the quality of his performances in training that caught the eye of the manager, it was also how good he was at taking on instructions and working on things the staff asked him to focus on,” he told the Next Big Thing Podcast.
“It was also his attitude and general application which I know that a lot of the senior players picked up on as well. I think It’s a balancing act for young kids trying to make their mark in that senior environment because you don’t want to be a shrinking violet but you don’t want to be arrogant…
“[The senior squad] all said that Billy as a character was great to have around, very humble and down to earth, really wanted to learn.”
Rhys Williams is also doing very well this season and made his debut for England U21s on Tuesday night – so it seems like we have a few exciting central defensive options coming through our ranks.
Sepp van den Berg is quite far down the pecking order and could do with a loan to the Championship this season, which we hope could toughen him up – given his lack of strength and physicality has so far affected his Liverpool appearances negatively.