Jayden Danns, Conor Bradley, Harvey Elliott: Top 10 Liverpool youngsters ranked
Liverpool’s young players are the talk of football on the back of an astonishing few days in which they have repaid Jurgen Klopp’s faith in the most dramatic fashion.
Jayden Dann’s wide-eyed smile following his second goal in a sensational midweek FA Cup sub cameo against Southampton was the most vivid moment of a series of eye-catching displays from the academy boys blazing a first-team trail.
Liverpool’s injury crisis has provided a golden opportunity for the club’s youth-team products to step up and they played a vital role in the League Cup final triumph last weekend.
Klopp had to once again rely on the youth for their FA Cup clash against Southampton with Danns’ double and an opener from fellow 18-year-old Lewis Koumas providing the goals in an emphatic 3-0 win.
Here, Football Insider ranks the top 10 Liverpool stars aged 21 and under:
10. Calum Scanlon (19)
A highly-rated left-back who was signed from Birmingham City for £500,000 in 2021.
Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson stand in his way of a first-team spot, but Klopp still put faith in Scanlon by handing him his debut in the Europa League this year.
He has missed out on the opportunities given to young players over the last week but it won’t be long until he sees more first-team action.
9. Trey Nyoni (16)
The 16-year-old was one of the stars of the show in the 3-0 win over Southampton.
He became Liverpool’s youngest-ever player to feature in the FA Cup after replacing former record holder Harvey Elliott.
His 12-minute cameo against the Saints impressed the Anfield faithful and he has plenty of time to grow and develop into a first-team star.
8. Kaide Gordon (19)
The 19-year-old was a late substitute against Southampton on Wednesday after replacing Cody Gakpo.
He already has seven first-team appearances for the Reds and scored his first senior goal in the 4-1 win over Shrewsbury in the FA Cup last season.
7. James McConnell (19)
Klopp trusted McConnell to play the entirety of extra-time against Chelsea in the League Cup final before handing him a starting spot against the Saints.
The 19-year-old midfielder now has eight senior appearances for the Reds and looks like a well-rounded option for the remainder of the season.
Liverpool put their faith in McConnell by tying him to a long-term contract earlier this season.
6. Bobby Clark (19)
Another central midfielder admired by Klopp – Liverpool showed their faith in Clark by handing him a five-year contract.
He joined the Reds in a deal believed to be worth £1.5million and Klopp quickly integrated him into his first-team plans.
Clark has already made eight first-team appearances this season, including four in the Premier League, and looks to have the characteristics to become a star at Anfield.
5. Ben Doak (18)
Doak has missed out on the praise piled on Liverpool’s academy in recent weeks because of injury, but he remains one of the most promising youngsters coming through their ranks.
He appeared in Liverpool’s opening game of the season against Chelsea and also played 170 minutes across three of their Europa League group matches before suffering a meniscus tear.
4. Jayden Danns (18)
Danns stole all the headlines with his superb brace against Southampton on Wednesday evening.
The 18-year-old forward has spent his entire youth career with Liverpool and looked comfortable when given his chance in the first-team.
He has shone in Liverpool’s academy this season with 16 goals in 16 appearances in youth competitions before netting twice in 30 minutes at Anfield.
3. Jarell Quansah (21)
One of the more experienced Liverpool youngsters with 21 first-team appearances.
Quansah has provided some much-needed depth in Liverpool’s defensive department and proved to Klopp that he can rely on him in the heart of defence.
He looks comfortable alongside the experienced Virgil van Dijk and already boasts plenty of experience at 21 years old.
2. Harvey Elliott (20)
At just 20 years old, Elliott already seems to be an established first-team star at Liverpool.
He joined the Reds from Fulham in 2019 and has already made 102 senior appearances for the Reds.
The creative midfielder also came back from a long-term setback after he dislocated his ankle in 2021.
During his time with the Liverpool first-team, Elliott has already won an FA Cup, two League Cup titles, the Uefa Super Cup and the Fifa Club World Cup.
1. Conor Bradley (20)
Bradley has transitioned seamlessly into Liverpool’s first-team in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s absence and looks destined to be an Anfield superstar.
The 20-year-old has such an impressive all-round game, fusing defensive solidity with attacking brio and a killer final ball, that it is bound to give Klopp a mighty selection headache when Alexander-Arnold returns from his knee injury.
Bradley has already made 13 first-team appearances this season, including a starting spot in the League Cup final against Chelsea.
It is testament to the phenomenal and immediate impact that he has made that the Northern Irish youngster already looks the pick of the Anfield young bunch. And, that is one mighty compliment given who he is competing with for the accolade.
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