Liverpool have been excellent at recruiting young players who can grow into genuine first-team stars over recent times.
The likes of Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic have been expertly plucked and are both now expected to play a big part for the Reds in the future.
Bajcetic was an interesting one in that he was signed from Spanish side Celta Vigo just before the new Brexit rules came in.
Today, Liverpool are not able to sign any player under the age of 18 from Europe. They got there just in time where Bajcetic is concerned.
Although he has struggled with injuries lately, Bajcetic has already made his mark in the Liverpool squad. Also well regarded in his homeland, the 19-year-old has been involved in Spain’s U21 side, too.
Despite that, Bajcetic was not called up during the ongoing international break. As Spain beat Kazakhstan 4-3 on Thursday, though, Liverpool fans would be wise to take note of the young man who hit a hat-trick during that game.
Mateo Joseph answers Liverpool question
The name of Mateo Joseph may already be a familiar one to some Liverpool supporters.
The 20-year-old has been slowly making an impact at Leeds United having joined them from Espanyol in 2022.
After making 22 Championship appearances last season, mainly from the bench, Joseph has really stepped things up this campaign.
Having started eight out of their nine league games, the youngster is now an important player for Daniel Farke. He’s also clearly making an impact on the international stage, as Thursday’s hat-trick suggests.
Another reason for Liverpool fans to take note is that Joseph is related to former Reds striker Emile Heskey. The Leeds man’s father is Heskey’s cousin.
READ MORE: Sweden international confirms Liverpool have watched him after being asked about interest
As a result, Jospeh was asked in an interview with Spanish outlet Diario AS as to whether his family member has been pushing him towards a future move to Liverpool.
“In England they are only about going with one team and I only go with Leeds,” answered the youngster. “Being in a team and then going with Liverpool, for example, is not a good thing.”
Asked about his relationship with Heskey, Jospeh suggested that the two are not especially close.
“Well, like that of a normal guy,” he replied. “Sometimes we exchange messages and I know that he follows me a lot because he is a sports commentator.”
Mateo Joseph rules out Liverpool move
Although Joseph is clearly not thinking about a move to Liverpool – or any other English side – for the moment, this could of course all change.
It would be interesting to see if his stance would soften should there be genuine interest from the Reds.
Heskey obviously had connections to other teams during his playing career, too, but he’s mostly remembered for a successful spell with the Reds in the 90’s and early 2000’s.
Should the chance to join a club with family connections arrive, maybe Joseph would find it too good to turn down.
For the moment, the Spain U21 star is rightly focused on making his name at Leeds. But if he continues to excel and develop, who knows where his future lies.
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