Harvey Elliott has claimed his ‘super-sub’ nickname which has came as a result of his late winner against Crystal Palace last weekend is a ‘nice one’ but insists he wants to break into Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI.
The 20-year-old had to settle for a spot on the bench at Selhurst Park on Saturday but earned the Reds all three points with his stoppage time winner.
Elliott has only started eight of our 23 games so far this term (across all competitions) but is likely to feature from the start when Liverpool face Union SG in the Europa League tonight.
The England youth international is aware that he’s up against some ‘world-class players’ for a spot in Klopp’s side and is therefore aware of the importance of being patient.
“For me, I don’t really want to be known as a super-sub,” the ex-Fulham man told the press (via 90min). “It’s a great headline, it’s a nice one, but I want to be in the team.
“It’s time for myself to establish myself in that position again and hopefully get a good run of games, but at the same time, I need to be patient as well and maybe be the super-sub as well.
“Being patient is part of the job, to be honest. You look at the squad and we have world-class players, but it’s about making sure I take the opportunities and establish myself.
“When I get these chances to go out and play, I have to make sure I affect the game well and maybe bring something different to the team. I always need to be patient in my career. It’s not going to be straightforward. There are always going to be ups and downs, but you just need to keep working hard.
“Starting on the bench kind of gives you that different view and you are able to sit back and analyse it. For me, it’s just about being aware and focusing fully on the game and the other team especially and seeing where I can exploit the spaces and the positions I can pick up.”
Elliott’s best position appears to be in an advanced midfield role where he can help make things happen and cause trouble amongst the opposition backline.
Our No. 19, who is ‘too good to be on the bench’ according to Micah Richards, is up against the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo for a spot in the starting XI, however, and has therefore not featured from the start as much as he would’ve liked.
That’s not to mean Klopp is not a fan of his, though, with our German tactician claiming that the midfielder will be ‘super-influential’ for the club moving forward (via The Football Faithful).
He does have a brilliant impact on the game when called upon from the bench and that’s all the youngster can continue to do for now.
When he’s handed a starting spot, potentially in tonight’s game, he needs to make the most of it to create a good problem for the Liverpool boss.
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