Former Liverpool winger Stewart Downing has revealed a conversation he had with Jonathan Woodgate, ex-Liverpool scout, about Harvey Elliott.
According to Downing, Elliott is destined for the Premier League – which in fairness – is about the minimum expectation we’ve got of the 17-year-old gem.
“From what I’ve seen up to now, he’s going to be in the Premier League for sure,” Downing told Goal.
“I know [Bournemouth manager] Jonathan Woodgate well, and he’s quite close to [Liverpool sporting director] Michael Edwards. He asked me about Harvey when he came to Blackburn, and I was like ‘f*cking hell, he’s brilliant!’
“It’s his game-understanding, when to pass the ball, when to dribble, when to come inside, when to stay wide. For someone so young, it’s top-drawer.”
Elliott has five goals and 10 assists in the Championship, which is a very tidy return, and we hope he can get closer to 20 before the end of the season.
If he wasn’t a Liverpool player, Blackburn would be charging £20m-odd for his services based on what he’s done this term, so it’s fantastic that he’ll be coming back to Merseyside this summer.
We imagine Jurgen Klopp will give him a big chance in the pre-season friendlies, and if Xherdan Shaqiri is off to pastures new, perhaps Elliott can stick around next term and replace his minutes from the bench.