Jurgen Klopp made one Liverpool coach ’emotional’ with his decision to play Layton Stewart last month. It was a proud moment for the academy.
Liverpool academy manager, Alex Inglethorpe says he found it hard not to be emotional when Layton Stewart finally made his senior debut last month. The striker started up top as the Reds faced Derby County in the EFL Cup.
And it was a long time coming. Stewart has been a ‘name’ in the youth setup for years, scoring for fun throughout the ranks. Injuries, however, risked derailing his career right at the final hurdle.
Just as he was on the brink of getting senior minutes, Stewart suffered a terrible knee injury. It’s taken him some time to get back, too. Finally, though, he earned a place in Jurgen Klopp’s thoughts and got onto the pitch last month.
It made Inglethorpe emotional to see – a proud moment for the entire academy setup.
“It’s hard not to feel emotional when you see a boy like Layton go from six years of age through to the first team,” Inglethorpe told the Liverpool Echo. “The journey they have been on – not just them, but their parents and family as well – it takes 10 years to get to that point.
“So for Layton to have done that and come back after a fairly significant injury, it’s a proud moment for everybody, including myself.”
Jurgen Klopp gives Layton Stewart his chance
Klopp has been tremendous with Liverpool youngsters and is always happy to trust them. We’ve got to believe that Stewart would have made his debut a over a year ago, if not for the injury. The fact Ben Doak is playing at 16 certainly suggests that anyway.
It’ll be interesting to see where Stewart goes from here, then. He didn’t have the easiest game against Derby but a start’s a start. And as someone who’s a little less experienced than most his age after a year out of the game, he can likely improve more than you’d think.
He’s not a name that will go away, certainly.
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