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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Paul Gorst

Liverpool £4m signing eyeing major Man City moment during Dubai trip

If there are a handful of players out to catch Jurgen Klopp's eye more than most out in Dubai then Calvin Ramsay can likely be included in that.

It's been a delicate introduction for the former Aberdeen youngster since moving to Merseyside over the summer. An injury that was initially undetected in his medical kept him sidelined until early October before he was eventually selected as part of the matchday squad against Rangers at Anfield.

It's just one Liverpool start to date for a player who joined for an initial fee of £4m, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold in front of him in the pecking order, the teenager was no doubt under no illusions about the amount of game time that would be asked of him when he signed on.

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However, while the current incumbent at right-back kicks his heels as part of a star-studded England bench at the World Cup in Qatar, Liverpool's near fortnight in neighbouring Dubai offers Ramsay a real opportunity to showcase his own burgeoning talent in the No.66's absence.

Having played his part in what was one of the youngest Reds sides in modern history shortly before the World Cup break in Liverpool's penalty shootout win over Derby County in the Carabao Cup last month, Ramsay will be eyeing more minutes when the domestic action resumes at Manchester City on December 22 at the Etihad.

Liverpool are giving those at the World Cup a minimum of a week off when their time in Qatar comes to a close and with England in action against France in the quarter-finals on Saturday evening, it means Alexander-Arnold could yet miss out for that fourth-round Carabao Cup tie in Manchester.

The options for Klopp then become Joe Gomez, James Milner or, if the manager is insistent on his usual youth policy for that particular competition, Ramsay. It would surely represent the biggest game in the young Scot's fledgling career to date, even if the star power of the assembled cast will not quite be as it traditionally is for Liverpool fixtures against Manchester City.

The trip to Dubai sees a clutch of young hopefuls as part of the 33-man squad who are training at the world-renowned Nad al Sheba Complex. Luke Chambers, Jarrell Quansah, Bobby Clark, Melkamu Frauendorf, Layton Stewart, Ben Doak, Jake Cain and Dominic Corness are all hoping to impress, but it is Ramsay whose claims to start the first domestic game back are strongest from the host of teenagers at the base.

Making the move south to a club the size of Liverpool while still in your teens was no doubt a daunting experience for Ramsay but he is helped by the fact that Liverpool's is a tight-knit squad and those at the club have spoken about how he has been taken under the wing of a number of senior stars, most notably Andy Robertson.

"Andy is a great role model for all footballers, especially young Scottish players coming through," said Ramsay last month. "For me he has been brilliant. He has been on my case a little bit, but I think that's been good because he has been hard on me, it's kept me level-headed and wanting to work hard. I hope he keeps it up, to be honest!"

Like Ramsay did last summer, Robertson knows exactly what it is like to leave Scotland to try and forge a career in English football and he has seen close up at both club and national level why his compatriot is so highly rated.

"Obviously Liverpool spotted that [potential] and that's why they bought him," Robertson told the BBC of Ramsay last month. "He doesn't seem fazed by a lot of things and takes everything in his stride - that's credit to him. Everyone at Liverpool is excited to see how far he can go and I'm sure everyone in Scotland is the same.

"He's coming up against the world's best right-back in Trent, but since he's been back in training, he's been training really well and obviously got his reward with his debut. He'll be looking for more game time - that's how you learn and develop. I know he's excited about being involved in the Scotland camp and I'm sure he'll be involved in a lot more for many years to come."

Having already played a relatively important part in helping Ramsay settle at Liverpool away from the pitch, Robertson could get his chance to help further at the Etihad later this month, should the Scotland captain get the nod over Kostas Tsimikas.

With Alexander-Arnold on Three Lions duty, the next two weeks in Dubai present a real opportunity for Ramsay.

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