Harvey Elliott is “incredibly important,” according to Jurgen Klopp, who also says he has plenty of time to secure a berth in the Liverpool starting lineup.
Harvey Elliott, the 20-year-old has been a key player in the Reds’ squad this year, but he has only started three Premier League games. Instead, he has made more of an appearance in the Europa League and domestic cup competitions.
But this season, Harvey Elliott has participated in all but four league games, frequently coming off the bench to significantly impact Liverpool.
An instance of this occurred during the previous weekend’s match against Burnley, when Elliott replaced the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold at halftime.
The midfielder helped Klopp’s team to a crucial victory that kept them atop the Premier League standings in the second half after the game was tied. His crosses into the box brought up two goals for the Reds.
Elliott also set up Luis Diaz’s stoppage-time equalizer against Luton Town the previous month and scored a goal in the 90th minute against Crystal Palace from the bench last December.
Elliott has therefore been referred to as a sub for the Reds this season, but Klopp is adamant that Elliott still has plenty of time to establish himself as a regular starter for this Liverpool team.
During his pre-match press conference, Klopp was asked if the young player was pounding on his door, demanding more playing time. He said, “Harvey is not doing that, but we have had talks.” You overlook his advanced age.
“Not just him, but all young players in general, experience various things in the early stages of their careers: flying, not flying, and working hard.
“Harvey is aware of how significant he has been, I’m sure. He certainly wishes he had started every game, but it’s different when he starts a game than when he comes on.
“However, he is still young, so it’s not like he will play super-sub all of his career. Utilize your skills and learn the game; he is capable of much more and is performing a lot of things well.
“Working with him is a delight. He has trained this week in a way that is quite remarkable.
“Dominik Szoboszlai just sustained another injury, so Elliott could have anticipated more first-team play, but the former Fulham player is still a vital member of the Liverpool squad.
Elliott will have numerous opportunities to impress Klopp in the upcoming weeks, as games will be played often and a Carabao Cup final is imminent. He may start in the starting lineup or come off the bench.
