Arne Slot pleased with player quality as young Liverpool stars shine vs Southampton

Slot provided opportunities to Trey Nyoni, James McConnell, Tyler Morton and Jadon Danns against Southampton which allowed rest to seniors. The squad also had Amara Nallo, James Norris and Rio Ngumoha who could potentially receive a chance in the future.

At the same time, the Reds have sent many young talented players on loan with some of them shining brightly. Lewis Koumas and Ben Doak have shined brightly while Kaide Gordon, Stefan Bajcetic, Owen Beck and many others receive a healthy experience.

Speaking to the press (via Liverpoolfc.com), Slot highlighted the healthy culture at Liverpool that allows academy players opportunities. He said:

“I think this club is known for this. I heard the fans singing for Trent [Alexander-Arnold], the song about the Scouser, I don’t know exactly what they sing, but it probably has to do with him coming from the Academy as well. We have already a few starters from our Academy and to see these players that train with us on a daily basis, we know their quality, so it’s nice to see that they show [it] on a Premier League level that they can easily play at this level.”

However, the Dutch head coach added that there is a vast difference between proving worthy of becoming a Premier League player and establishing oneself as a regular Liverpool player. He added:

“The thing for them is, it’s not about easily playing at this level, but you have to compete with Mo [Salah], Virgil [van Dijk] and all these kind of players. It’s not enough to be good enough to play at this level, you have to be good enough to play for Liverpool and that is probably the next step they have to make. But they’ve showed today that these players are capable of playing at a Premier League level, that’s for sure.”

A victory against Southampton will take the Reds to the Carabao Cup semi-final, a competition in which they have consistently provided opportunities to youth players. Liverpool works under a restricted budget compared to its competitive rivals in the Premier League, which makes the academy very important.

Furthermore, the Kopites adore the academy players as the bond between the fans and these young players starts early. Liverpool fans eagerly follow the development of the academy players whether they fulfil their potential at the club or elsewhere.