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da wazamba： This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…
Liverpool fans have a particular fondness for young players who come through their academy from a young age, and Luis Longstaff could be the latest graduate to enjoy their support.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is the perfect example of an academy player who Liverpool fans love as ‘one of their own’, but other than the right-back there havent been too many players which have taken the same journey and remained in the first-team in recent years – with Raheem Sterling and Jordon Ibe examples of academy graduates who have moved elsewhere.
The path ahead for Longstaff is therefore a difficult one, as to break into a squad of European champions requires not only exquisite skill, but tremendous bravery and an attitude to work hard and never give up – Alexander-Arnold has shown all of that.
There are positive signs so far for Longstaff in his short career. He is 18 years of age but this season has been fast-tracked into the U23 team, and it didn’t take him long to make his mark with a goal against Southampton U23s.
In 2017 he also endeared himself to Liverpool fans with a goal against Manchester United U18s, and has since developed into a tricky winger, who is adept with the ball at his feet and likes to take the ball past opposition defenders.
His pace will also be very useful for his chances of appearing in the first-team. Jurgen Klopp’s pressing style is so effective, in part, due to the rapid movement of Sadio Mane and Mo Salah, and if Longstaff can prove he is disciplined off the ball and prepared to work hard, he will make a good case for himself in regard to first-team opportunities in the future.
The departure of Ryan Kent could also be important in his progression for two reasons. Firstly, it opens up a space in the U23 squad for Longstaff to appear more often, but it also acts as a warning sign to the player, showing that he will be moved on if he fails to reach the high standards set by the club.
For his sake that should hopefully act as a motivating factor, but if he continues his current rate of development he could certainly be one to watch out for.
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