Liverpool under-18s manager Marc Bridge-Wilkinson was full of praise for Kaide Gordon's remarkable progress with the first team as he welcomed the forward back to academy action for their 4-3 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup.
The young Reds raced into a 3-0 lead shortly after the interval as Oakley Cannonier fired his 24th goal of an excellent season so far to add to Luke Chambers' and Gordon's first-half strikes.
However, it wasn't to be for Bridge-Wilkinson's youngsters as they squandered their advantage during a chaotic 25-minute spell late in the second half, as Charlie Webster, Malik Mothersille and Jude Soonsup-Bell drew Chelsea level before Tudor Mendel Idowu bundled the winning goal over the line with virtually the last kick of the game.
Though, Bridge-Wilkinson believes despite the immediate pain and shock the defeat will bring, it will in fact benefit his players over the course of their careers.
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"It's tough, being honest, " he told the ECHO.
"Obviously getting in such a strong position and then coming out on the wrong end of it, we're gutted, the lads are gutted and rightly so.
"We can definitely learn from it; every game win, lose or draw that's what we do. It's something that the boys have to experience, you can't explain these feelings and situations unless they go and live it."
The young Reds were boosted prior to kick-off at Kirkby as they welcomed Gordon back to youth-team duties - having missed the last round of the youth cup due to his recent first-team commitments - following a whirlwind January for the 17-year-old, in a month where he has began to take serious strides in the fledging stages of his career.
It was only three weeks ago that the youngster leapfrogged Michael Owen into the Anfield history books to become the club's second-youngster-ever goal scorer when he netted in front of the Kop during the FA Cup triumph over Shrewsbury Town.
Jurgen Klopp handed him a Premier League debut the following week against Brentford, before he was rewarded for his impressive cameos with a start at the Emirates against Arsenal for the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.
And his youth-team manager, Bridge-Wilkinson, said it's testament to the young man Gordon has become that after such highs he was able to return to the Academy with the same respectful attitude.
Bridge-Wilkinson said: "He's a great young man. Kaide has wonderful moments that we like, he's still got a lot of development to do, but he's a really good footballer. We love having him around. There's lots more to come still.
"Whenever he comes in he's just the same old Kaide, regardless of whatever he's been and done he comes back, he's humble and he plays his game. It's good that he gets to come and experience these moments. It's great that they (his team-mates_ get to play with someone who has been and achieved slightly more than they have."
It was a difficult start to the evening for Gordon as he struggled to really get going on the right-hand side, but a switch to the left, following a brief in-game discussion with teammate Melkamu Frauendorf, kick-started his evening.
The decision immediately paid off as Gordon found the net just before the interval with a cool right-footed finish, but also highlighted that maturity and responsibility that the club's players are taking at this stage of their development, as he doubled the Reds' lead with a fierce finish just before the interval.
Bridge-Wilkinson said: "Mel [Frauendorf] and Kaide can flip and play both sides, we let them play whichever side that feel most comfortable. It was something decided between the two - and the staff - that we feel we might get joy from."
