Liverpool told they have a ‘sensational’ young player who was on a different level in his youth team

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Liverpool have done a good job of picking out young players who can go on to be first-team stars over recent times.

The Reds have one of the best academies in the country, but have also become adept at looking to the outside world for emerging talent.

Liverpool’s ability to pluck top youngsters from their respective youth teams has been seen as recently as this summer, with Rio Ngumoha convinced to join from Chelsea.

Big things are expected of Ngumoha, who joins a growing list of youngsters who have seen Liverpool as the best place for their development.

One of the best examples for Ngumoha to follow is that of Harvey Elliott, who joined the Reds from Fulham aged just 16.

Since then Elliott has gone on to play over 100 times for Liverpool and is now a permanent fixture in the first-team squad. And as the Reds prepare to face his old club on Saturday, one of the No.19’s former youth team coaches has been looking back on his journey.

Harvey Elliott hailed for ‘sensational’ talent

Elliott always felt destined to play for Liverpool. The 21-year-old is a boyhood Red who’s ultimate dream was to end up at Anfield.

As a result, Liverpool had a head-start when looking to sign what was at the time one of the best youth prospects in the whole of Europe.

Despite his allegiances to the Reds, though, Elliott started off at QPR before joining Fulham.

One of his coaches at Loftus Road was Scott Chickelday, who has been speaking to Sky Sports to look back on his time with Elliott in the U11s.

“The first game I saw him play he was playing quite deep and I remember my first training sessions we were doing some one v ones, two vs twos and Harvey was just a joke,” says Chickelday.

READ MORE: The stage is set for Harvey Elliott to become a key player for Arne Slot by Christmas

“Both feet, the skills and stuff he had. So, I played him as a ten. I don’t think he was too keen on playing there but he was sensational and going forward from there we played him anywhere across the front three.

“I quite liked him centrally because he was effective on the ball, he had really good feet and for someone so small he had a really good shot on him as well.”

Harvey Elliott set to start against Fulham?

Given how much he’s already played for Liverpool, it is easy to forget that Elliott is still only 21.

If everything continues going well for him, he could easily be at the club for 10 or even 15 more years.

Nevertheless, Harvey will still be disappointed with the way things have started for him under Arne Slot this season.

Injuries can happen, of course, but picking a lengthy one up right when a new manager comes in is incredibly frustrating.

Now fit again, though, things will improve for Elliott over the coming weeks. After Slot was not happy with his midfield during Tuesday’s win over Girona, perhaps a start against former club Fulham on Saturday could be exactly the platform Harvey needs.

He’s already made good on the potential Chickelday saw in him, but Elliott still has more room to develop and that is exciting.