Chelsea’s Carney Chukwuemeka was impressed with Liverpool youngster James Balagizi‘s display for Crawley Town last night.
Balagizi took to Instagram having scored twice for Crawley against Northampton Town last night. His team lost the game 3-2, but the Liverpool academy star was delighted to have scored his first professional goals.
“Delighted to get my first 2 professional goals,” wrote the 18-year-old. “Unfortunate with the result but we go again.”
Responding to the post, Chukwuemeka, who has just signed for Chelsea for £20m, wrote “Yessir” with a love heart eyes emoji.
Others to respond included fellow on-loan Liverpool player’s Rhys Williams and Tyler Morton. Also in Balagizi’s replies were Arsenal youngster Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Everton’s Lewis Dobbin. A popular lad it seems. Well done, James!
Balagizi proving himself at Crawley
Balagizi has already established himself as a key player for Crawley. The youngster has played a part in all four of their games in League Two so far, starting three.
Although his team have lost three of those four games, and all of them that he’s started, it’s still great experience for him. To get off the mark so early into the season will be a massive boost, too.
There are high hopes at the academy for Balagizi. It was perhaps a little bit of a surprise to see him drop so far down the divisions for his first loan away from Liverpool.
So far though, it’s looking like a very good decision. At this stage of his development, the main thing for Balagizi, or any young player, is to play.
It will do him well to be playing men’s football to a decent standard every week. Hopefully he can continue his good form and get a full season in the first-team under his belt.
Do that, and he’ll return to Liverpool a much better player than the one who left.
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