17-year-old ‘Rolls Royce’ spotted in first-team training for Liverpool after getting rave reviews this season

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Liverpool take on Sparta Prague this evening with a number of youngsters eyeing a spot in the matchday squad.

Having won 5-1 in Prague last week, the Reds are very well placed to make it through to the Europa League quarter-finals tonight. With a massive FA Cup tie coming against Manchester United on Sunday, Jurgen Klopp looks likely to rotate.

With that in mind, a number of Liverpool’s youngsters were present in yesterday’s pre-match training session. By now, these have become recognisable faces of the Reds’ season.

One of those who is perhaps still a little more unrecognisable is centre-back Amara Nallo. Nallo was signed from West Ham United last season and has quickly forged a reputation at Liverpool.

The 17-year-old has even made the first-team bench twice in the last couple of weeks. His first look-in came against Southampton in the FA Cup in February, before being named as a substitute for Sunday’s huge clash with Manchester City.

Unfortunately, UEFA rules mean that Nallo is actually ineligible to play in the Europa League this season. However, it surely won’t be long before we do see him making his debut.

Nallo in and around the first-team

Nallo isn’t the only new-comer to have been getting tongues wagging at Liverpool this season. Fellow summer recruit Trey Nyoni has been a slightly higher profile success story.

Nyoni was also spotted in training yesterday and has already made his senior debut. Unfortunately, he’s another who isn’t permitted to be in the squad tonight.

Nevertheless, Nallo has perhaps been equally as exciting. Back in October, U21s coach Barry Lewtas raved about the potential and maturity the youngster had been showing by playing above his age level.

“Amara was excellent,” Lewtas told liverpoolfc.com after a draw against Benfica. “Him and Carter Pinnington have been playing quite regularly for us so far together. Listen, he [Nallo] is just 16, and I don’t think we’ve ever asked a lad that young to play at centre-back against senior opposition.

“He should be really proud of his performance. I think the main thing for Amara is he played ever so well but he didn’t let any kind of mistakes or momentum shifts in the game affect him. So he didn’t play like a 16-year-old, that’s for sure.”

Lewtas isn’t the only one to have been impressed. Before his arrival at Liverpool, West Ham youth coach Carlton Cole even described the teenaged defender as a ‘Rolls Royce’ [whufc.com]. That gives you an idea of the kind of player Nallo is.

As we’ve seen over recent years, Liverpool don’t tend to target these young players from rival academies unless they plan on playing them. Just like Nyoni, it looks like Nallo has a future in the Liverpool first-team.

There’s obviously a long way to go before that becomes a genuine reality. But the early signs are very good indeed. We won’t see him tonight, but keep your eye out for Nallo.