Jurgen Klopp has named 18-year-old striker Jayden Danns within the Liverpool first-team squad for the primary time, as Luton go to Anfield within the Premier League.
With accidents blighting his squad in all areas, Klopp has made 5 adjustments to his beginning lineup in opposition to Luton – and named an inexperienced bench.
That features 5 academy gamers in James McConnell, Bobby Clark, Trey Nyoni, Kaide Gordon and, for the primary time, Danns.
• READ: Confirmed Liverpool lineup vs. Luton: 5 changes with 11 players out
Danns is the thirty ninth completely different identify in a Liverpool matchday squad this season, and the tenth teenager.
So who’s he, who does he play like and what might we count on?
Who’s Jayden Danns?
A Scouser, born in Liverpool, Danns has been with the Reds his complete youth profession, having joined the membership on the age of eight.
He progressed steadily by the ranks however, after a marketing campaign as second alternative to a different 18-year-old, Lewis Koumas, final outing, he has damaged by in 2023/24.
Danns is the son of former Premier League midfielder and present Tranmere assistant supervisor Neil Danns.
Who does he play like?
There are sometimes comparisons made between Danns and Harry Kane, in the way in which they lead the road whereas usually dropping deep to affect play.
As his physique has stuffed out – after rising virtually a foot in eight months whereas within the U16s – there are clear similarities between him and Roberto Firmino, too.
Danns is at his finest as an out-and-out striker, and has showcased an array of finishes, each spectacular and routine, with 21 targets whereas splitting his time between the U18s and U21s this season.
What has Jurgen Klopp mentioned?
Talking after the 5-2 victory over Norwich within the FA Cup, Klopp name-checked Danns together with Nyoni and Koumas as “particular” gamers coming by subsequent:
“Trey and Dannsy are particular as properly from the U18s, Koumas.
“There are quite a lot of actually good gamers developing nonetheless. The academy is in a great second, I might say, production-wise. It’s great.”
And in his pre-Luton press convention, the supervisor once more picked the trio out as “massive talents” who can help the present damage disaster:
“We nonetheless have choices there, positively, gamers who confirmed already what they’ll do like James [McConnell] or Bobby [Clark].
“Others even who didn’t characteristic but however are in or round that, Koumas, Dannsy, Trey, they’re all large abilities.”
What has he mentioned?
In a current interview with the membership’s official website, Danns vowed to place every thing into elevating his requirements after a style of first-team coaching:
“My long-term goal is to be the perfect participant I can probably be.
“I don’t need to finish my profession and have any regrets the place I might have labored more durable. I’d fairly simply put all of the work in and attempt to get as a lot as I can from it.
“Step-by-step, I need to change into the participant that I envision.”
Anything?
If he have been to attain, Danns would change into the membership’s third-youngest league goalscorer of all time, at 18 years and 36 days.
It could place him behind solely Michael Owen (17 years, 143 days) and Raheem Sterling (17 years, 317 days).
He would overtake Stefan Bajcetic (18 years, 65 days) as Klopp’s youngest Premier League goalscorer.
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