Jake Cain caught the eye in training, according to Pep Lijnders. The 19-year-old is on the cusp of the first team.
Pep Lijnders released his latest pre-season diary on Wednesday and had a special mention for Jake Cain after an electric training performance. The 19-year-old appears to have really caught the eye.
Certain players were taken aside by coach Vitor Matos after a session yesterday, with Cain one of them. Lijnders, who clearly watched the session, picked out the youngster afterwards.
“Vitor took a small group for some extra work and Jake Cain scored seven goals, including some worldies,” he wrote.
It’s the kind of thing that will do Cain a world of good. He’s in a strange spot at the club but might just see an opportunity to make a name for himself.
Cain plays in midfield and we have seen him in the senior side before. He started against Shrewsbury Town back in February 2020, while there have been a good few bench appearances, too.
A 2019 Youth Cup winner, Cain is among the group of gifted youngsters who are just on the brink of breaking through. We’d put Leighton Clarkson in that group, too, along with Billy Koumetio.
We think there’s a chance we see more of Cain this season. Gini Wijnaldum’s exit does create a gap in midfield, while the rest of Liverpool’s options have injury histories.
That’s not to say Cain will line up against Manchester City this season but a League Cup outing or a game off the bench against a lower Premier League side? It’s very possible.
And the more he impresses coaches and the more we hear about him, the more likely it becomes. Cain is a gifted player and one we’ve been hearing about for a while now.
Perhaps this is the year he gets to follow in the footsteps of former Academy teammates like Curtis Jones and Neco Williams.
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