- Liverpool had eight academy graduates on their bench for the Carabao Cup final
- Mail Sport has tracked their individual journeys to the highest level
- Chelsea were gutless to play for penalties. Liverpool have a cause, Mauricio Pochettino’s side are soulless – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Pictures of Liverpool’s stars walking up the famous Wembley steps after the Carabao Cup final resemble more of a queue of kids waiting for their school lunch rather than a collection of new heroes about to collect a medal after etching their name into folklore.
Five of the XI that finished the win over Chelsea were aged 21 or under, while only match-winner Virgil van Dijk would be guaranteed a place in Liverpool’s best team if all Jurgen Klopp had the rarely-seen luxury of a fully-fit squad.
So, let’s get to know the members of the Kindergarten Kop, from those who featured at the national stadium to the next on the production line set to play in Wednesday’s FA Cup clash with Southampton…
Harvey Elliott, 20
Elliott is the most established of Liverpool’s young prospects, having been a part of the first team squad for a number of years. Despite being born in Chertsey, Surrey, Elliott grew up a Liverpool fan, but he was picked up by QPR’s academy initially after being knocked back by Chelsea due to concerns over his size.
He went on to join Fulham, making his senior debut as a 15-year-old in 2018, and did enough to convince Liverpool that he was one for the future. The Reds signed him for an undisclosed fee in 2019 just three months after his 16th birthday, and he has since made over 100 appearances for the club.
Elliott suffered an ankle dislocation-fracture in 2021 during a league clash with Leeds, and has had to remain patient at Anfield, largely due to Liverpool having Mohamed Salah playing on the right wing.
But he has adapted his game to play in a deeper role in midfield, and has flourished from the bench regularly this season. He ran himself to a standstill on Sunday, and at only 20, looks set to play a major role for Liverpool for years to come.
Bobby Clark, 19
Described by one source close to the academy during a pre-season tour of Singapore as ‘the best kid in the building’ and would have played more this campaign but for injury. Just before his return, he was rewarded with a new contract at the club he joined from Newcastle in 2021.
His father, former Newcastle fan favourite Lee Clark, was instrumental in the teenager moving to Merseyside and taking him away from the Tyneside club and it is understood Liverpool rejected loan approaches from Derby and Bristol City in late January.
Clark is an energetic midfielder who has shown impressive goal-scoring traits at youth level. ‘The development of Bobby Clark… oops, that’s really crazy,’ said Klopp on Sunday. He is set to make his full debut against Southampton after seven substitute appearances this season.
James McConnell, 19
Another poached from the North East as a kid, this time Sunderland. McConnell spent most of his development years as an attack-minded midfielder but has been moulded into a deep-lying No 6 by Klopp and Pep Lijnders this term.
Started his footballing life at Cramlington Juniors, the team who Alan Shearer and several other Premier League footballers have played for.
A youth scout tells Mail Sport: ‘I’ll never forget the night I first saw him. I got straight on the phone, “Who is this lad? Is he in an academy yet?”.’
Jarell Quansah, 21
Sunday’s Carabao Cup final marked a year since he was playing in League One for Bristol Rovers against Port Vale.
Klopp has been astounded by the young defender’s progress this season, with Quansah playing 20 first-team games – firstly out of necessity but then on merit.
Warrington-born Quansah joined Liverpool aged five and has always towered over fellow kids. He is an old-school defender in a no-nonsense, commanding way but has a calmness and confidence on the ball that belies his age.
Conor Bradley, 20
A fairytale but also heartbreaking start to 2024 for the Northern Irishman, who got his break in the Liverpool team in January but also lost his father, Joe, after a long illness.
Sunday was a proud day for his family, including mother Linda, as he starred in the final.
Bradley has an amateur referee in County Tyrone to thank partly for his stardom, after he recommended him to a youth club Dungannon Swifts, where he was spotted by Liverpool. He impressed in pre-season but a back injury saw him miss four months.
Jayden Danns, 18
Son of former Premier League midfielder Neil Danns, grandson of former Eurovision backing singer and champion skateboarder Neil Danns Sr.
‘I loved him from the first second,’ said Klopp of the striker, who only joined first-team training at the turn of the year.
Like the kid he is, Danns is said to spend time in the garden working on his first touch, and scored in his first 11 games for the Under 18s this season. Missed a year of football with Osgood-Schlatter’s disease as he rapidly shot up from 5ft 2in to his lanky frame of 6ft now.
Lewis Koumas, 18
You get the gist now… another Liverpool youngster with a famous dad – this time former Wales international Jason Koumas.
His son has been endorsed by Welsh legend Gareth Bale on Instagram, too, which is not to be sniffed at.
Koumas, nicknamed ‘Louie’ by most, was originally a midfielder but has been moulded as a No 9 in recent months. The 18-year-old has been described as an ‘absolute nuisance’ by scouts and was poached from Tranmere in 2016… much to their anger.
Trey Nyoni, 16
Just 16 but the midfielder could make his debut this week after being signed from Leicester in the summer. He was spotted by head of academy recruitment Matt Newberry in a talent-spotting drive that is now much more locally-focused after Brexit rules on signing overseas kids.
Nyoni was born in England in 2007, two years after Liverpool won the 2005 Champions League in Istanbul, but has Zimbabwean descent.
The Reds beat top clubs such as Manchester United to his signature and he is described as the best midfielder of his age group in England.
Kaide Gordon, 19
Hardly a new face after scoring in front of the Kop in the 2022 FA Cup but he has barely featured since due to a condition that is best described as growing pains, similar to Danns.
The winger is one of five siblings which includes brother Kellan, a midfielder for Crawley Town.
He was signed from Derby’s academy after Liverpool’s hierarchy held long talks with the Rams and Gordon’s family, selling a vision to the first team. After playing in the Europa League at Union Saint-Gilloise this season, Gordon is likely to feature on Wednesday.
Jay Spearing, 35
Yes, you read that right. Jay Spearing is an over-aged player-cum-coach for Liverpool’s Under 21s and is often seen patrolling the sidelines at academy matches, though he has played eight Premier League 2 games and three EFL Trophy clashes this season.
The Wallasey-born midfielder played 55 Liverpool games from 2008 to 2013 before a good career in the Football League with Bolton, Blackpool and others.
This is partly a tongue-in-cheek addition to the list but, given injuries, fans are calling for him to be on the bench on Wednesday!
…And next off the production line
Watch out for Irish winger Trent Kane-Doherty, who is impressing academy staff, as well as Kieran Morrison and Cody Pennington.
Summer signing Amara Nallo looks like an accomplished defender, while there is plenty of talent out on loan, too. The future is bright.
And don’t forget winger Ben Doak, described as ‘like a Tasmanian devil’ by Van Dijk after a dazzling pre-season display at Preston in August, and Spanish midfielder Stefan Bajcetic. Both have missed much of this season with lengthy injuries.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
