MY ACCOUNT
Harvey Elliott became the youngest player in Carabao Cup history when he made his Fulham debut at Millwall back in 2018.
The Cottagers academy star was only 15 years and 174 days when Slavisa Jokanovic brought him on with nine minutes remaining of their 3-1 win.
Elliott won the competition with Liverpool earlier this year and will hope for a similar run this time around.
Ahead of the Merseysiders’ third-round clash with Derby tonight, we turn the focus on the Surrey-born midfielder.
Anfield aspirations
Four years on from his first senior appearance, it is safe to say that Elliott is living the dream.
A big Liverpool fan growing up, he is unlikely to take pulling on the red shirt and playing at Anfield for granted.
On his attachment to the Reds, Elliott said: “I went to the majority of games when they were down south, if I wasn’t playing for Fulham. To get to the games was hard, but if we could, we would.
“A few times we travelled up to watch Champions League games. I remember seeing the floodlights and the teams warming up, it was something I dreamed of, whether it was for Liverpool or any team professionally.
“It is a one in a million dream to end up playing for your boyhood club.”
Jurgen’s youngster
Boss Jurgen Klopp continues to trust Elliott in the biggest games, despite the youngster not turning 20 until next April.
He has started at Napoli and Ajax in the Champions League, as well as Premier League trips to Manchester United, Everton and Tottenham.
Perhaps the biggest signal of support from his German coach was Elliott’s selection in the home encounter with Manchester City, playing 73 minutes of the 1-0 win.
Elliott recently said: “To have had the opportunities I’ve had under the gaffer [Klopp] and his coaching team, I can’t thank them enough.
“Results haven’t really gone our way but they don’t go into the market searching for other players every time you don’t win a game. It gives us reassurance and courage they believe we are good enough to play in this team.”
Finding consistency
While his starts at the beginning of the season were down to injury problems, Elliott has kept his spot because of his displays.
Initially operating as a winger before his Anfield switch, the England Under-21s international has been used in midfield by Klopp, either in a three or as one of two No8s ahead of a more defensive team-mate.
Three goals this term show a player exhibiting a threat in the final third, while he has created four big chances and 17 in total in all competitions.
His strike at Ajax also made him the first teenager to score in back-to-back Champions League games for Liverpool, showing he is increasingly becoming a man that can be relied on.
Two weeks ago, Klopp said: “He [Elliott] started last year’s season incredibly consistent — he was in the team and probably a standout player early in the season.
“Now in a team which is not in a perfect moment, he has a really consistent season so far. Good for him and very good for us as well that he is now scoring as well.”
A new era
There is a sense that the Reds are about to enter a new era under Klopp.
The team who won the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League a season later is slowly breaking up, with new stars ready to come through.
Ex-Reds ace Emile Heskey sees Elliott and fellow Fulham academy graduate Fabio Carvalho at the forefront of that change.
Heskey said: “They’ve got Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott who are coming through and actually making a difference as well.
“Consistency might not be with them right now, but in six months to a year, they’re going to be frightening because they’ll understand the consistency that is needed.”
The youngster has come a long way from that September evening at the Den and unless Klopp, Heskey and plenty of other experts have got it wrong, he will be around at the top level for much of the next decade and more.
