Liverpool journalist Caoimhe O’Neill has discussed the kind of impact that youngster Harvey Elliott can have on the team this season.
The 18-year-old was kept in-house during his first season at the club following his move from Fulham in the summer of 2019, playing predominantly for the youth sides whilst also making sporadic appearances in the first team.
Last season, though, he was sent out on loan and had a very impressive campaign for Championship side Blackburn Rovers, playing 42 times for them in all competitions, scoring seven goals and chipping in with 11 assists along the way.
It was a season that clearly impressed the hierarchy at the club, as they signed him up to a five-year deal this summer, which has been followed up by some minutes in the club’s pre-season campaign as they gear up for the new season.
Speaking on The Red Agenda podcast, O’Neill claimed that his return would be ‘like a new signing’ and hinted that he might be used more in the first team this season – but that he won’t be a regular in the side just yet:
“You’ve got players like Harvey Elliott as well, who has been playing in more of a midfield role – I mean, he could play anywhere, I think. So there is that vibe as well that he feels like a new signing even though he’s a kid and his minutes will probably be managed throughout the season, but he played like a million for Blackburn.
“So, you know, he is going to be exciting to watch.”
TIF Thoughts on Caoimhe O’Neill’s comments about Harvey Elliott at Liverpool…
Do you think Harvey Elliott is ready to be a regular player for Liverpool?
Yes
No
It certainly will be interesting to see how Liverpool utilise Elliott this season, if at all. The fact he signed a new contract shows that there is a lot of faith that has been placed in him to develop into something for the future, but what is going to happen to him this season is a different matter.
Having had regular first-team football this past season, it wouldn’t make much sense for him to be sent back to the academy again and make brief cameos in cup games or for the final few minutes in Premier League matches; he needs to continue that progression by continuing to play regularly.
So unless the plan is to have him starting on a regular basis for the first team at Anfield, they might be better off with him heading out on loan, either back to the Championship, or to a team lower down in the Premier League.
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