Premier League clubs’ interest in young English players has only intensified.
In order to have enough players for the home-grown system, and because they can no longer acquire foreign players under the age of 18 due to the withdrawal from the European Union, Liverpool is also expanding its scouting not only in England but also all over the United Kingdom.
In recent years, Liverpool has acquired Harvey Elliott from Fulham, who was 16 years old at the time. Other under-20 players such as Bobby Clark, Ben Doak, Conor Bradley, and Kaide Gordon are gaining experience, especially in cup competitions.
And they are planning to bring even more promising youngsters into the team. According to the Sunderland Echo, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and other strong clubs have shown interest in Sunderland’s 16-year-old midfielder Chris Rigg.
The central midfielder from Hebburn, who made his first-team debut at just 15 years old, became the second youngest player ever to play for the club. He has also made seven appearances in the Championship this season and has been selected for the England U-18 squad.
He controls the ball skillfully with his dominant left foot and can dribble forward without worrying about being marked. Although he is not yet strong enough, he looks like he could be a powerful shooter when he is fully fit.
It remains to be seen what kind of career England’s supernova will have in the future.