It was a touching moment in Liverpool’s season, which has frequently been one of difficulty.
Jurgen Klopp replaced Stefan Bajcetic with just a few minutes left on the clock and the Merseyside derby already won so that he could receive the thunderous ovation from the Anfield crowd that he so richly deserved.
A few moments later, up in the Sky Sports commentary booth, club legend Jamie Carragher was anointing the 18-year-old player of the match.
Due to this, he was paired with Mohamed Salah for the post-game interviews. Salah praised him as the team’s greatest performer ever since Klopp brought him in.
In his mixed Spanish and Scouse accent, the wide-eyed adolescent said, “It’s incredible, I was playing Under-18s a year ago and now I’m playing at Anfield and that just occurred in one year.”
Many Liverpool fans have found Bajcetic to be a revelation this season, but Klopp always had plans for him to be integrated.
Klopp was questioned about the lack of midfield acquisitions back in July, just before Liverpool’s preseason tour. In response, he said that if necessary, he wouldn’t think twice about sending in a young, inexperienced trio consisting of Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho, and Bajcetic.
Given that Bajcetic has yet to make his professional debut, that prompted some questions. Klopp, however, was quite serious, and we now know why.
The way the youngster terrorized Everton—running 11 kilometers, making all of his tackles, and stealing the ball back to start the play that resulted in Cody Gakpo’s first goal for Liverpool—justified Klopp’s choice to sit James Milner and Naby Keita while Thiago was injured.
The fact that he was playing a different position made it even more amazing. Bajcetic had previously played the defensive No 6 position, but Klopp switched him to the No 8 position for his sixth straight start.
He prospered amid the Merseyside Derby’s blood and thunder.
This is not to imply that Bajcetic is the only answer to Liverpool’s midfield dilemma, which must be solved this summer if they are to once again contend for trophies.
Jude Bellingham, an England star, will be one of the main targets for a significant investment. Bajcetic’s rise, though, might save Liverpool from having to spend money on a second midfielder.
Given that they only paid £224,000 for the child in December 2020, when Liverpool outbid rival Manchester United and impending Brexit laws to acquire him from Celta Vigo.
Since the United Kingdom left the European Union, new Premier League rules restricting visas for abroad players under 18 were due to be implemented. Liverpool had been in negotiations with the Spanish club for months.
Liverpool was informed that United was close to finalizing a deal to sign Bajcetic, who was 16 at the time, in the latter weeks of December.
However, a delegation from Liverpool, led by academy manager Alex Inglethorpe, convinced Bajcetic that a move to Anfield would be beneficial for his future, and he ended up becoming the club’s final acquisition under the previous rules.
Because their fathers, Mazinho and Srdan Bajcetic, were teammates at Celta, Thiago has coached Bajcetic. He also joined a close-knit group of Spanish-speaking players that included Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Milner.
Bajcetic’s adaptability is further evidenced by the fact that the club first wanted to use him as a central defender but changed their minds because they thought he could be too little to compete with the strong Premier League defenders.
It also didn’t take long to realize that his game combined the intellect and deft touches more comparable to a Spanish player with the tough-tackling style borrowed from his Serbian father, who was also a midfielder.
Bajcetic began his career with the Under-18s, but once Klopp and his assistant Pep Lijnders saw his potential, Bajcetic was quickly promoted past the Under-21s.
He made his senior debut in the 9-0 thumping of Bournemouth back in August and made his first start against Derby in the Carabao Cup in November thanks to injuries to important midfielders this season.
Only Raheem Sterling and Michael Owen had scored for the Reds at a younger age than his debut Liverpool goal, which came in the 3-1 league victory at Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
When he returned to the Villa Park changing room, his teammates gave him a standing ovation as a sign of their appreciation for him.
Bajcetic has recently started every game, and a new long-term deal awarded to him last month is further indication of how highly he is regarded at Anfield.
It makes sense that Klopp wants to keep the child’s feet on the ground. His understated evaluation of Monday night’s performance was, “Pretty nice.”
However, deeds speak louder than words, and Klopp’s willingness to put his whole trust in an 18-year-old in his midfield during a difficult moment for Liverpool speaks volumes about how highly regarded Bajcetic is.
They had only won once in seven games since the new year, so their 2-0 victory over their neighborhood rivals was desperately needed. Liverpool, who now sits in a dismal ninth place in the standings, will be hoping it was a turning point.
There is no reason to believe that Bajcetic won’t be trusted once more when Liverpool plays Real Madrid in the Champions League the following week or travels to high-flying Newcastle this coming Saturday.
He seems to be only just getting started.