Oakley Cannonier continued his incredible form with a hat-trick for the Under 18s. The 17-year-old is on fire right now.
Liverpool Under 18s played their opening game of the Premier League Cup on Saturday against Crystal Palace. They won the game 3-2 and have one player to thank for that – Oakley Cannonier.
The 17-year-old scored a hat-trick to win the game, pushing his tally to a ridiculous nine goals in five games this season. He had a goal inside 10 minutes in this one and made it two before half-time.
A third in the second half won the game and was a statement – Cannonier is one to watch. The Reds might have something very special on their hands here.
Cannonier scores hat-trick
It was only a week ago that we were celebrating Cannonier’s sixth goal of the season and wondering how far he can go. After all, it’s not just the goals that make the teenager an eye-catching prospect.
This is a player the coaching staff rate highly and, reportedly, see a bit of Philippe Coutinho there.
“His slight frame, low centre of gravity, nifty feet and deadly finish have drawn comparisons to Philippe Coutinho from club staff,” writes the Athletic.
Well, a Coutinho who scores goals for fun is certainly something to get excited about but Cannonier has a long way to go before that comparison is anything but eyebrow-raising. We’re still talking about Under 18 level, after all.
You certainly can’t ask for much more out of five games, though. Nine goals is a spectacular return and everyone should be watching out for Cannonier’s this season.
This is also a testament to just how good Liverpool’s academy is right now, though. The Under 18s lost Layton Stewart, Ethan Ennis and Kaide Gordon this season but appear to have found a new highlight show immediately.
The future is certainly bright at Liverpool right now.