"Reminds me of a Phil Foden" - Noel Whelan tips 'magical' Liverpool star to be a superstar for a 'long, long time'
Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has suggested that Liverpool wonderkid Harvey Elliott is a superstar in the making. The 47-year-old has claimed that the 18-year-old reminds him of Manchester City starlet Phil Foden.
The TV pundit also reckons that the former Fulham winger will be 'breaking down Jurgen Klopp’s door' for a regular run in the Liverpool side. Elliott had a brilliant start to the season, receiving regular minutes as part of a midfield three but sustained a horrible ankle injury in September against Leeds United.
After a five-month spell on the sidelines, the youngster has made his much-awaited comeback and is doing pretty well.
While talking about Klopp's options in the middle of the park, Whelan claimed that the Liverpool manager has a plethora of options in that area.
The youngest player to play for Liverpool in a final at Wembley. Rattled the Chelsea players and fan-base. Scores the 9th penalty in the shoot-out at 18 years of age. Lifts the trophy.
Harvey Elliott 👏🔴 https://t.co/MDX2sCw4sg
He had plenty of time to discuss Elliott and believes that the teenager has a bright future ahead of himself. The 47-year-old told Football Insider:
“Klopp’s got so many options in that central area, hasn’t he? You could have Elliott in there. I like seeing him out in the wide areas as well, driving in and producing that bit of magic – but there’s fierce competition out there at the moment.
“James Milner, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott – these are all players who will be breaking down Klopp’s door in order to get into that side."
Whelan went on to compare Elliott to Manchester City star Phil Foden, who has become one of the key players for Pep Guardiola's side.
“But when you talk about longevity, Elliott is the one. He’s gonna be a superstar for a long, long time – he reminds me of a Phil Foden. Klopp will make an assessment on who to put in there but they look a lot stronger – even with Thiago out," Whelan added.
Elliott can be the future posterboy of Liverpool
It is quite evident that Liverpool have big hopes from Harvey Elliott, the player who still holds the record for being the youngest player ever to make a Premier League appearance.
Jurgen Klopp is arguably the best in the business when it comes to turning quality young players into world-class footballers. The German has had a big impact on many top-class players in the past and Elliott looks like his next big project.
Harvey Elliott has only played 17 times for Liverpool, but he already has medals for:
UEFA Super Cup 🏆
FIFA Club World Cup 🏆
Premier League 🏆
Carabao Cup 🏆
He's 18 🤯 https://t.co/DqhlSh0Yn6
The 18-year-old has made nine appearances for the Reds this term, despite his long injury-layoff, having scored once. Klopp has used the teenage prodigy in multiple positions and it is pretty evident that he likes the confidence of the Fulham academy graduate.
The future seems bright for the wonderkid at Liverpool and he could become one of the key players at Anfield for many years to come.