After making his competitive Liverpool debut against Wolves four years ago, Molineux would go on to become a ground Ki-Jana Hoever would call home.
Signed by the Reds for a fee of £90,000 in 2018, the Dutch defender was one of three players to make their first-team bow in an FA Cup third-round defeat in the West Midlands.
At the start of the following season, Hoever then bagged his first professional goal in an EFL Cup triumph at MK Dons aged 17 years, eight months and 10 days old. There were high hopes the youngster could have a part to play in the coming years, highlighted by Jurgen Klopp's assessment of the Amsterdam-born star one month prior to his cup goal.
READ MORE: Manchester United and '£7bn' prediction Liverpool will be interested in
READ MORE: We simulated Liverpool vs Arsenal for score prediction and it could be Premier League classic
The Liverpool boss said: "You forget so quickly these boys are so young. He’s still 17, it’s just crazy. But everything will be fine, he’s a fantastic footballer and I’m really happy that we have him for longer."
But after only four first-team appearances, the right-back was sold to Wolves in September 2020 for £13.5m. Taking place alongside this was the deal to bring Diogo Jota to Anfield. The Portuguese forward made an instant impact for the Reds. While Hoever's time at Wolves began in promising fashion, featuring 15 times in his debut campaign and 10 times the following season, he has since fallen down the pecking order and was sent out on a season-long loan to PSV Eindhoven in June.
Participating in five of the opening 10 Eredivisie fixtures, sharing the pitch with none other than Cody Gakpo, Hoever was soon overlooked by manager Ruud van Nistelrooy and was recalled by Wolves during the January window. Opting for a Championship move as the next step in his development, the 21-year-old has been an instant success at Stoke City.
Not only has regular gametime been a vital part of his temporary stay, Hoever has also showcased an unlikely side to his game: being decisive within the final third. With four goals in his last five starts, including a brace in a 3-2 win over Blackburn Rovers, Hoever has taken his opportunity to shine with both hands.
His most recent strike came in a hugely impressive 4-0 triumph at play-off hopefuls Coventry City, as seen in the above clip, which saw Hoever display exceptional close control to weave his way into the penalty area before firing into the bottom left corner.
For all the talk of cover required for Trent Alexander-Arnold in recent weeks, Liverpool may well have wrongly cut ties with a full-back who is proving he has plenty more to give.
READ NEXT:
'Definitely' - Jurgen Klopp makes bold claim about his future as Liverpool manager
Jurgen Klopp hints at number of Liverpool transfers with 'smart recruitment' pledge
Liverpool will be kicking themselves after missing out on 'talent of the century' Jurgen Klopp loves
Curtis Jones set for unique Liverpool role that sums up big Jurgen Klopp problem
