Harvey Elliott, an England U-21 midfielder who took a big leap forward after a loan spell at Blackburn, overcame a serious injury of a dislocated ankle fracture to make 46 more appearances in the 2022-23 season.
Although he did not become a regular, starting about half of the games and half of those on the bench, he showed his commitment and attacking flair in the midfield.
He has risen through the pecking order above Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who have been stuck in an injury funk, and has gained more first-team experience.
The player himself revealed that he was able to play more games than expected, and reflected on last season, the first time he was able to play a full season as a competitive player since joining Liverpool.
“If anything, I’ve played more than I expected this season,”
“People keep saying I’m young but I don’t feel like it! When you step back, put it into perspective, this was my first proper season at Liverpool. “
“The amount of minutes and experiences I’ve gained have been great and hopefully I can kick on.”
Due in part to a weakness in strength when defending, Curtis Jones started more games in the second half of the season and, conversely, sat on the bench more often.
As a winger by nature, he shows flashes of offensive play, but he cannot avoid strengthening the timing of his presses and the physical aspect of his game.
Elliott also looks ahead to next season, emphasizing that it is not Klopp who will find the answers for the future, but only himself.
With new midfielders joining the team and competition for positions intensifying, Elliott also said that he welcomes healthy competition.
“Klopp hasn’t said much [about the future] to be honest,”
“It’s up to me to go out and find those answers. I trust him with everything. It’s all part of it, I’m still young – still growing up – and I’m not expecting to play every game.”
“We’ve bought one new player [Mac Allister] and there will be more to come. It’s about making sure, with respect to them, that I am better. It’s healthy competition, it’s what you want.”
Daily Mail
With Roberto Firmino gone and Oxlade-Chamberlain, who can play both wings, has also left the team, there may be more use for him up front.
While it is still too early to tell if he is ready to take on the “Gegen Press”, and Jurgen Klopp’s decisions, including the use of Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, will be closely watched.
We can also look forward to the development of the former Fulham midfielder, who fought his way through to the end of the season.