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Liverpool midfielder already ‘one to watch’ next season after message to Jurgen Klopp
Few Liverpool players sought to make the most of every minute on the pitch this season quite like Harvey Elliott.
And even when a long, long campaign ticked towards a welcome conclusion, so the youngster was eagerly taking one final opportunity to stake his claim.
Certainly, the energetic, purposeful attacking performance of Elliott after emerging from the bench in the finale at Southampton last month was pivotal in helping Jurgen Klopp’s side fight back from two goals behind to earn an entertaining 4-4 draw and extend their unbeaten run over the closing weeks.
And the 20-year-old would have been forgiven for wanting to issue a pointed reminder to Klopp having been restricted to three very brief substitute appearances during the final month.
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As a whole, though, the campaign was another of significant progress as Elliott travelled another steep learning curve having been a regular presence throughout a testing campaign for the Reds.
Indeed, it was only on his birthday in early April, when he was rested from the Premier League trip to Chelsea, that he lost his surprising tag as the one player to have featured in every game this season.
True, Elliott subsequently made only one start – the 4-3 home win over Tottenham Hotspur – during Liverpool’s 11-game run without defeat that gave them an outside chance of Champions League qualification until the final few days of the season. But there were more factors at play to explain that impressive run than Elliott being taken out of the firing line, not least the return of so many senior attacking options and a switch in formation.
That previous ever-present tag meant the versatile midfielder experienced first-hand the travails that too often afflicted Klopp’s side. He was hooked after an hour of the shock 2-1 home loss to Leeds United and only made it to half-time in the New Year defeat at Brentford where he was responsible in the build-up to one goal. However, there were only bit-part roles in the dismal Premier League reverses at Brighton and Wolves that soon followed.
Elliott, after barely featuring last season due to serious injury, has had to grow up quickly, learning through mistakes along the way. His early-season performances on the right of the midfield trio belied his inexperience and perhaps didn’t offer enough cover for an already-struggling Trent Alexander-Arnold, but come March he was outstanding in the record-breaking 7-0 win over Manchester United.
He had spells on the right flank during the autumn as Klopp experimented with new attacking formations, scoring in successive Champions League games at Ajax and Rangers, and netted from the left wing in the FA Cup fourth round defeat at Brighton. Elliott’s season highlight, though, was arguably his blistering long-range winner in the previous round’s replay success over Wolves.
And the youngster was entrusted with some of the biggest games, starting home and away against City, and away at Tottenham and Everton along with those aforementioned Anfield triumphs over United and Tottenham.
The signing of Alexis Mac Allister and likely arrival of two more midfielders mean the competition for places in the engine room will soon be as fierce as ever. And Mohamed Salah has shown no signs of being shifted from his right-wing berth.
But if his cameo on the final day at Southampton highlighted anything, it’s that Elliott has the appetite to fight for his place. He will be one to watch next season.
End-of-season rating: 7
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