After starting against Burnley at the weekend, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez took time out to praise Daniel Ayala’s performance at centre back in the Premier League match. It was the 19 year old’s fourth competitive game for the senior side, and his impressive performances for the reserves this season have merited the Spanish defender’s rise to first team football. Benitez believes Ayala can become a great defender:
“Daniel has been really good for the Reserves through the whole season and now he has had his opportunity in the first team. He is good in the air, he is focused all the time and he has the potential to be a great defender. We are really pleased with the progress he has made. Steven Fletcher is a good player and you could see that he had targeted Daniel and he tried to challenge him. But he got on with it and you could see that in the second half Daniel’s game improved.”
There were certainly many positives that Ayala could take from the game and Rafa’s words of encouragement should hold him in good stead for the future.
Ayala, Pacheco and now Shelvey. We could have quite a few gems in a couple of years. Just need some of the doubters to keep some faith during these dark times.
I think it is now time to get rid of the dead wood around the first team. A lot of people question rafas motives when buying lots of promising youngsters but if they continue to develop as they are they will be adequate backup and will allow Rafa, or whoever is in charge, to buy more quality instead of quantity. Here’s hoping anyway.