The Next Generation: Who are the Future Stars of Liverpool FC?

Homegrown players are a vital commodity in the Premier League these days. Not only are they able to forge a connection with the fans, they also allow the club more leeway in the transfer market. The Premier League have stipulated that each team must have a minimum of eight homegrown players in their 25-man squad, allowing the remaining 17 members to be purchased from further afield.

The Reds are unlikely to fall foul of this rule anytime soon, with the Liverpool academy having nurtured and developed several outstanding talents including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Jarell Quansah and Caoimhin Kelleher over the last five years. Connor Bradley is the latest player to break through into the XI, with the Northern Irishman having enjoyed a stellar breakthrough season at Anfield, and he is looking to kick on once again under the watchful eye of Arne Slot.

Fans can look forward to another crop of prodigious upstarts emerging soon, however, most of them have been sent out on loan to gain some vital experience. Bradley’s spell at Bolton Wanderers and Quansah’s recent stint at Bristol Rovers enabled the pair to toughen up and adapt both physically and mentally to the professional game. This latest set of EFL loanees will be aiming to follow in their footsteps.

Lewis Koumas

The 18-year-old is a considerable talent and the son of the former West Brom and Tranmere midfielder Jason Koumas appears to have an extremely exciting future in the game. Having been sent out on loan to Championship outfit Stoke, he has already excited Potters fans, claiming two goals and an assist in his first five appearances for the club.

Koumas was handed his debut under previous boss Jurgen Klopp and he will be hoping that his spell in the second tier will be enough to play his way into the new manager’s plans for next season. His versatility is one of his greatest assets and he is also quick and confident in possession. Having netted 15 times in 24 appearances for the under-18s and under-21s, Koumas’ good goalscoring form has continued in Staffordshire, and he hasn’t looked overawed by the prospect of playing professional football every week.

Although Stoke weren’t listed amongst the pre-season favourites with the bookmakers, the Potters have made a decent start to the 2024-25 campaign and Koumas has played a significant part in elevating the Potters. Steven Schumacher encourages his players to play on the front foot and that has allowed the Liverpool loanee to thrive.

The Staffordshire outfit may not be ready to challenge for automatic promotion this time around, yet many of the online sportsbooks now tend to offer a wide range of alternative outright markets such as top half finish and top Midlands club. These could be viable options for any punters who are feeling positive about the Potters.

Ben Doak

There has been plenty of hype surrounding Liverpool academy graduate Ben Doak over the last couple of seasons. The Scottish international is the same age as his teammate Lewis Koumas and will also be spending the remainder of the season in the Championship.

Doak joined Middlesbrough on Deadline Day and is hoping to get his career ‘up and running’ in Teesside. He made his Liverpool debut prior to his 17th birthday having joined from Celtic earlier in the year and was regularly praised by former boss Jurgen Klopp who described him as a ‘special boy’.

The teenager is confident on the ball and loves running at opposition defences. He has pace and trickery in abundance and is able to make well-timed runs behind the defensive line. The right-footer is ultra direct and will be looking to provide plenty of ammunition for the Middlesbrough forwards this season.

Owen Beck

At 22-years old, Owen Beck is far more experienced than either of his aforementioned teammates and he’ll be aiming to use this season as a springboard to future success. The left-back has struggled to get many minutes for the Reds due to the form of the ultra-consistent Andy Robertson.

Beck enjoys marauding forward at every opportunity, although he won’t completely disregard his defensive duties. The ball will often stick to his feet as he swerves past opposition players with relative ease.

During his loan spell at Dundee, he improved considerably as the season progressed and was often compared to his Liverpool teammate Robertson, who also began his career in Scotland. Blackburn fans should be excited by his arrival on a season-long loan, and it may not be long until he is pushing for a place in the Reds starting XI.

17.09.2024