Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray has lauded Harvey Elliott, the Liverpool playmaker who’s spending the season on loan at Ewood Park.
Elliott has become a fixture in Blackburn’s side, and he has four goals and eight assists so far.
In all honesty, it would be nice to have him at Anfield as an option in attack, but it’s best long-term that Elliott is getting so many minutes.
“He’s just a fantastic talent,” Mowbray told the Athletic. “He’s 17, but there are 17-year-olds and 17-year-olds and Harvey is unbelievable. It’s unfathomable to me that, in five years, he’ll still be in his early twenties and he could have played 250 games by then. What a joy he is. He just loves the ball; can’t have enough of it.
“And you can’t get him off the training ground. When he plays a game and comes into training the next day, the lads who haven’t been involved might be taking part in a small-sided game and Harvey just wants to join in. He’s always out on the grass; so much that I have to keep sending him in. It’s an amazing attitude he’s got. He’s helping us, helping our team and hopefully we’re helping Liverpool develop a player and we’re helping Harvey. Everybody wins as far as I can see.”
Everyone who spends time with Elliott says similar things, and it’s clear he’s destined for the top.
We’re not sure where he’ll play long-term, but reckon he might be similar to the emerging Phil Foden, in that he’s comfortable anywhere along the frontline – providing his job is a creative run.
In terms of what he’s done so far, Elliott is the best 17-year-old we’ve had since Michael Owen, as Steven Gerrard and Trent Alexander-Arnold developed a little later.
Under Jurgen Klopp, he can be whatever he wants to be. Mowbray is currently doing a brilliant job with Elliott though, and we’d love to see them make the Play-Offs to see Harvey in some massive games.