Harvey Elliott has always enjoyed something of a love affair with the League Cup.
He was aged just 15 years and 174 days when his professional debut arrived in the competition as a Fulham youngster. That he was trusted to play away for the Cottagers at a venue as notoriously hostile as Millwall said a lot about his temperament and quality, even back then. Elliott may only have played the final nine minutes of a 3-1 win, but his debut was a clear pointer towards a bright future.
"It's a great opportunity for him," said Fulham manager at the time, Slavisa Jokanovic. "We believe the future can be bright ahead of him. but he must be at school in the morning!
"He had some exams (earlier that week). He didn't know he would be involved. I didn't want to put him in any trouble. I gave him the opportunity to test himself at this level. I don't know if I can say it in English or use it as a wrong word, but he is arrogant and positive. This kid shows personality, like he says: 'I want to show you I am a very good player; I want to show you'.
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'"I say: 'Okay, if you can show me, I will give you this opportunity'. A huge gap is ahead of him for improvement and to grow up and to be part of this profession. He is a very talented kid."
A year later, Elliott would again catch the eye in the League Cup, this time as a Liverpool player. His selection in a 2-0 win at MK Dons in September 2019 saw him become the second youngest player of all time at Anfield, with only Jerome Sinclair - at 16 years and six days - ahead of him on that particular list.
A smart cameo off the bench in February's successful final over Chelsea at Wembley also included a well-taken pressure penalty as he continued to play his way back into the thinking of Jurgen Klopp after a long-term ankle injury that had been suffered at Leeds the September previous.
And when Klopp was reaching for his more established members of Wednesday's match-day squad against League One's Derby County, it was fitting that Elliott was one of three 'seniors' to come on as the fourth youngest Liverpool team ever selected was toiling in its attempts to break down the Rams.
Elliott's arrival in midfield was the catalyst for a more sustained spell of pressure in front of the Kop as he used the ball intelligently throughout. One clever clip through to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came close to bringing about the opening goal before a give-and-go with the same team-mate almost saw the 19-year-old poke past goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith moments later. It was his penalty that eventually booked Liverpool's place in the next round of the competition as the Reds won 3-2 on spot-kicks.
It many ways, it seemed natural that Elliott was part of the crop of substitutes who were considered of higher rank than the academy hopefuls who populated the rest of the bench, but that only adds to the belief that Liverpool have a special talent on their hands in their versatile midfielder.
After all, Layton Stewart, who made his first start for the senior side against Derby, is already older than Elliott, who now has a total of 41 appearances for Klopp's first team under his belt, including 13 Premier League appearances this term.
Given the way Elliott is now considered within the ranks of the general Liverpool squad - particularly when he is picked as one of the leaders of a such a young match-day group - it was jarring to see him stroll through the post-match mixed zone with his family on the night itself.
His performances are seeing him increasingly thought of as a senior professional as he continues to become a household name in English football, but his walk through the press area reminded those who spotted it that he is, quite remarkably, still only a boy in his teens.
The England Under-21 international does not turn 20 until April and while his stature is growing with each impressive performance, it was a reminder that the pressure should not be overly exerted on such a young player's shoulders just yet.
“[The senior players] put their arm around me and give me a helping hand if needed but at the same time I need to solve my own problems and I need to deal with it myself like a man,” Elliott said earlier this season. “I am not a kid anymore, so I need to have that authority and make sure I stamp things out."
He may feel as though he is no longer that young kid hoping for game-time while he studies for his exams, but there are no doubt more difficult tests to come in his fledgling career. It would be wise for the wider Anfield collective not to exaggerate if, like so many others of his ilk in the past, the performance levels start to dip.
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