OPINION
The signings of players like Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho may have taken the headlines at Liverpool in recent windows, but it is the low-profile arrival of Bobby Duncan which may end up giving fans the most joy in the coming years.
The 17-year-old striker left Manchester City in the summer in order to achieve a childhood dream and sign for his hometown club, where cousin Steven Gerrard made his name as a Premier League legend.
Duncan has begun life at Liverpool with a bang, scoring 15 goals in 19 games for the club’s Under-18 and Under-19 teams so far this season.
Obviously there is still a long way to go before Duncan is challenging for a first-team place, but the brilliant academy set-up at Melwood gives him the best chance possible of becoming a regular for his hometown club.
And, in an exciting development this week, Duncan has made the next step in his quest towards that aim by playing for the Under-23s for the very first time.
As reported by the Liverpool Echo, Duncan was drafted into the Liverpool development side due to a raft of players being unavailable.
The 17-year-old did not get on the scoresheet in their 1-1 draw with Tottenham but is said to have acquitted himself well in the circumstances.
Let’s not forget that Duncan is playing several years above his level for the Under-23s, and the only way is up from here after making his first start at that level.
As previously mentioned, there is a long way to go before Duncan is ready for first-team football, but his start to life back on Merseyside has been nothing short of meteoric, and that is a seriously exciting prospect for Liverpool fans.
Seeing a Liverpool-born player excel for the club brings excitement like nothing else, and Duncan looks like he could be next on the production line for the Reds.
