Who are the 19 youngsters included at start of Liverpool pre-season?
With many of Liverpool’s squad still away on holiday or featuring in internationals, 19 relatively unknown faces are participating in the senior squad’s pre-season training.
Arne Slot has plenty of time before leaving for Liverpool’s USA tour, on July 23, to pass judgment on some of the Reds’ best players from the academy.
Not all of these players will make it onto the America-bound plane, but they will have the chance to impress in pre-season as Slot awaits the return of Liverpool’s international players.
Marcelo Pitaluga
Age: 21
Position: Goalkeeper
LFC apps: 0
A young Brazilian goalkeeper, Marcelo Pitaluga was recently recalled from a rocky loan spell at St Patrick’s Athletic in the League of Ireland.
Harvey Davies
Age: 20
Position: Goalkeeper
LFC apps: 0
Harvey Davies spent last season on loan at Crewe, where he gained valuable experience by playing 32 times in all competitions, including 27 League Two matches.
Fabian Mrozek
Age: 20
Position: Goalkeeper
LFC apps: 0
Fabian Mrozek has been at Liverpool for four years and has often trained with the first team while playing for the under-21s.
According to Polish outlet Meczyki, Liverpool have already turned down a loan bid this summer from Portuguese side Vitoria SC.
Amara Nallo
Age: 17
Position: Centre-back
LFC apps: 0
After joining from West Ham last year, Amara Nallo quickly made an impression on his coaches and even made the bench twice in his debut campaign at Liverpool.
Owen Beck
Age: 21
Position: Left-back
LFC apps: 3
Owen Beck should enter this pre-season with plenty of confidence off the back of a season in which he made an appearance under Jurgen Klopp and was voted into the PFA Scotland Team of the Year, for his performances on loan at Dundee.
Luke Chambers
Age: 20
Position: Left-back
LFC apps: 4
With a wicked left foot, Luke Chambers has been an exciting player in the academy for some time and made his first-team debut last season, appearing four times for the Reds.
The second half of the campaign saw him go to Wigan on loan and excel, with manager Shaun Maloney saying: “He had a brilliant loan.”
Calum Scanlon
Age: 19
Position: Left-back
LFC apps: 2
Another left-sided player, Calum Scanlon was unfortunate not to feature more in the Europa League last season but still came off the bench twice to play a combined 51 minutes.
James Norris
Age: 21
Position: Left-back
LFC apps: 2
James Norris will be a player thankful for the fresh set of eyes posed by Slot. After spending last season at Tranmere, this may be the last chance for the 21-year-old to break into the senior squad.
Tyler Morton
Age: 21
Position: Centre-midfield
LFC apps: 9
Two strong loan spells, in particular last season’s stint at Hull, has left Liverpool’s coaches unable to ignore Tyler Morton.
The Wirralian will get his chance in pre-season and must take full advantage.
James McConnell
Age: 19
Position: Centre-defensive midfield
LFC apps: 9
After playing a key part in Liverpool’s 2024 League Cup win, James McConnell has become a wanted man and Hull are very keen to take him on loan, like they did Morton and Fabio Carvalho last year.
Trey Nyoni
Age: 17
Position: Attacking midfield
LFC apps: 1
Like Nallo, Trey Nyoni only signed last summer but has already made his way into the first-team squad on multiple occasions.
Nyoni even made his debut at Anfield, coming on for the 12 minutes of the Reds’ 3-0 fifth-round FA Cup win against Southampton.
Dominic Corness
Age: 21
Position: Centre-midfield
LFC apps: 0
Having been at Liverpool since the age of five, the midfielder has long been on the radar of academy watchers. Like Norris, though, this may be his last chance to make the manager’s plans for the future.
Luca Stephenson
Age: 20
Position: Centre-defensive midfield
LFC apps: 0
Luca Stephenson has more time on his side than Corness and also possesses a versatility that could make him useful for Slot.
In his young career, he has already played in central midfield, at right-back and at centre-half.
Kieran Morrison
Age: 17
Position: Attacking midfielder
LFC apps: 0
Probably the most inexperienced of the pre-season squad, Kieran Morrison is only 17 years old and has played just twice for the under-21s.
He has, however, shown brilliance for the under-18s, scoring 12 goals and providing four assists in 29 U18 Premier League appearances.
Tom Hill
Age: 21
Position: Centre-midfield
LFC apps: 1
Often captaining the under-21s, Tom Hill is a trusted member of the academy and a reliable player. Unless Slot takes a particular liking to Hill, though, it seems unlikely he will ever make it as a Liverpool first-team player.
Jayden Danns
Age: 18
Position: Striker
LFC apps: 5
You all know who Jayden Danns is but it is always worth reminding each other what a talent we have on our hands. Slot shouldn’t rush his development, but he is definitely ready for more senior minutes this season.
Lewis Koumas
Age: 18
Position: Left-wing
LFC apps: 1
After scoring on his debut for Liverpool in the FA Cup, Lewis Koumas was called up to the Wales senior squad this summer, and came on against Gibraltar and Slovakia for his first international caps.
Kaide Gordon
Age: 19
Position: Right-wing
LFC apps: 7
After a long-term pelvic problem kept him out for over 18 months, Kaide Gordon gradually began to get back to full fitness last season and was rewarded with a new contract.
Harvey Blair
Age: 20
Position: Right-wing
LFC apps: 1
Since his surprise start against Preston in the 2021/22 League Cup, Harvey Blair hasn’t really kicked on to reach his potential, with injury troubling his young career.
He will hope to use this pre-season as a chance to impress the new boss and regain a place in the club’s long-term plans.
Liverpool squad in training – Pre-season day three
Goalkeepers: Kelleher, Pitaluga, Davies, Mrozek
Defenders: Quansah, Van den Berg, Phillips, Nallo, Bradley, Tsimikas, Beck, Chambers, Scanlon, Norris
Midfielders: Jones, Elliott, Bajcetic, Morton, McConnell, Nyoni, Corness, Stephenson, Morrison, Hill
Forwards: Carvalho, Doak, Danns, Koumas, Gordon, Blair
