Sky Sports pundit Andy Hinchcliffe has heaped praise on 16-year-old Liverpool debutant Harvey Elliott after an impressive display in the Carabao Cup game against MK Dons.
Elliott played the full 90 minutes of the game on Wednesday night and should have scored, hitting the bar twice, once when it seemed easier to score.
Liverpool won the game 2-0 with goals from James Milner (after a terrible blunder from the MK Dons goalkeeper) and Ki-Jana Hoever.
Talking after the game on Sky Sports (Wednesday, 10pm), Hinchcliffe said, “There are 17-year-olds and 18-year-olds on the pitch. He’s 16. When the ball arrives at his feet he just turns into a natural footballer.
“His vision, his weight of pass, his balance, everything is right about how he carries the ball and he’s just going to keep growing and growing and getting better and better.”
Fellow pundit Don Goodman agreed saying, “He’s got natural football intelligence which you need to play at the highest level.”
TiF Tactics – Elliott has announced himself
If all eyes were on Rhian Brewster before the game, the youngster everyone was talking about afterwards was Elliott.
He looked brilliant – confident and composed, and really should have sealed his display with a goal. It’s hard to believe that he’s just 16 years old.
Elliott arrived from Fulham this summer and was described after the game as “brilliant” by manager Jurgen Klopp. [Liverpool Echo]
WhoScored gave him an 8.2 rating, more than established stars Adam Lallana, Joe Gomez and Naby Keita – in fact, it was the second-highest rating of any player on the pitch behind James Milner.
What a way to announce yourself to Klopp.
Liverpool’s next game in the cup is a mouthwatering clash against Arsenal, when fans will be hoping to see Elliott again. That will be a big step up for the youngster if he’s picked.