OPINION
The EFL Cup has been a great opportunity for Liverpool to give opportunities to some of their youngest talents.
Jurgen Klopp has not been afraid to throw them into the senior side, with the likes of Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones shining in the 5-5 draw against Arsenal at Anfield.
The Club World Cup has made the Reds’ schedule even more hectic over the Christmas period, and recent comments from the German would suggest that players like Elliott are going to get a shot in Qatar.
Klopp recently commented on the four academy talents that are pushing the first-team and adding more competition for him to choose from.
“We have not the biggest squad, but even the young boys are making pressure from behind,” Klopp told the Liverpool Echo.
“Harvey, Rhian, Curtis and Neco Williams they really push from behind, so that’s cool.”
Liverpool confirmed their squad for the Club World Cup on Thursday morning, with those four starlets all included for the tournament in a couple of weeks time.
Many will have believed at first that the four youngsters have been included in the squad just for the experience of travelling with the senior players and getting a taste for it.
Looking at Klopp’s comments though, that would surely indicate that they are set to be given a chance when they travel over to Qatar.
Evening Standard journalist, David Lynch revealed that the four will all be included against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup the day before flying out to Asia.
The opening game will come too early for the four youngsters, but they are certainly going to get that chance later on in the competition should they go all the way.
Klopp’s comments on the youngsters prove that they are set for a bigger role in the first-team between now and the end of the season.
