Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott has now been officially ranked as one of the most exciting prospects in world football.
ESPN have now released their list of football’s top young stars aged 21 or under, comprising of 39 special talents.
Incredibly, one Liverpool player has made the cut, having recently missed out on GOAL’s NXGN Awards.
Coming in at number 36, Harvey Elliott has now been ranked as one of the world’s best up and coming youngsters.
ESPN are obviously impressed by the 19-year-old’s natural flair on the ball, and how he has become an important player for Jurgen Klopp this season.
“Strengths: Energetic, lively and light-footed, the England U21 international presses with intent and opens up space with his movement. On the ball he adds to the fluidity of the game by way of instinctive touches, directness in his passing and excellent dribbling abilities. His left foot — though underused from set-pieces and long-distance shooting — is of a high standard, too.”
They also identified areas Elliott could work on in his game.
“How he can improve: In addition to his inconsistent defensive contribution and his physical shortcomings in terms of strength and height, Elliott should be attempting to beat opponents in central areas to a higher degree — especially since he’s so good at it. Given his creativity and intelligence, one expects a higher input than his five goals and two assists from 40 games this season.”
Elliott ranked as one of the world’s best prospects
Having faced questions over whether he has the physicality to play in the middle of the park at the top level, Elliott has proven he is more than good enough to compete.
To date, the 19-year-old has made 40 appearances this season – impressively including 26 games in the Premier League and eight in the Champions League.
Massively useful for Klopp, the teenager has demonstrated his versatility by playing in a variety of positions this term: notably, as an attacking midfielder, a right winger, a left winger, a right midfielder and a central midfielder.
Although he still has the odd occasion where he makes mistakes defensively, Elliott has improved greatly in all areas of the pitch.
At such a young age, he still has years left to improve and reach the very highest level, making him an extremely exciting prospect for everyone at Liverpool.