Liverpool were hoping a repeat of last season’s injury woes would not pop up again. A season that was near enough written off because of the year-ending injuries to so many key players in Jurgen Klopp’s squad. Just as the Reds had started to pick up a rhythm in this new 2020/21 season, moments before Harvey Elliot was due to be substituted and be replaced by Jordan Henderson, the youngster was involved in a horrible challenge that would see him sit on the sidelines for the next few months.
The England U’21 international started the season brilliantly, keeping out the likes of Naby Keita and Thiago out of the first team as a result of his magical performances on the right side of Liverpool’s midfield three. The horrific injury he suffered, a dislocated ankle following a challenge from Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk, could be a big stumbling block on Elliot’s road to becoming a shining star in his own right.
The ex-Fulham man is currently the record bearer for both the youngest ever player to appear in the Premier League and the second youngest to make their competitive debut for Liverpool. It’s fair to say Harvey Elliott has held the weight of expectation for some time now and had been rewarded for his hard work in being trusted as the player to replace ever-present Gini Wijnaldum in the Liverpool first-team squad.
It isn’t a simple task to break into this Liverpool first XI or any Premier League team for that matter. However, following a successful campaign in the Sky Bet Championship with Blackburn Rovers in 2019/20, the youngster was certainly heading in the right direction. Embed from Getty Images
Once Elliott signed his first professional contract with Liverpool at the age of 16 in the summer of 2019, the Reds’ boss Jurgen Klopp spoke of a ‘perfect culture’ as well as how it’s vital to allow young players to gain the chance to savor the Anfield experience.
Elliot is a high-quality player that has enormous potential to be in the first team on a regular basis and Liverpool have been devoted to his development. It speaks volumes when you say an 18-year-old ‘kid’ will be sorely missed by one of the best teams in world football.
Elliot is possibly the closest replacement to Phillippe Coutinho since the Brazilian‘s departure in 2018. His quick feet and ability to strike from all areas outside and inside the box could be a huge asset to this Liverpool team. It's arguably the one thing that is missing from the Reds’ overall game. That special drop of the shoulder and a little shimmy to beat a defender. The kid has it all and the world at his feet should he recover fully from the injury.
Liverpool will be hoping it doesn’t have a major impact on the youngster's impressive development, who has been unphased by the transition of starring for a mid-table Championship outfit to shining for the most in-form team in the Premier League.