This time last year Rhys Williams was just about to be recalled to the Liverpool starting XI for the final five games of the season as the Reds rallied to claim maximum points and qualify for the Champions League, having previously risked missing out on Europe after a defensive injury crisis derailed their Premier League title defence.
The defender had made just two appearances since a particularly difficult evening at Old Trafford in January 2021, as Jurgen Klopp’s side exited the FA Cup after a 3-2 defeat to Manchester United. But alongside Nat Phillips at centre-back, the young defensive duo were instrumental in helping Liverpool finish in the top four.
Yet what was the pair’s reward once Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez were back from season-ending injuries? Sure, they’d be given new long-term contracts but Williams was sent on loan at Swansea City, while Phillips made just three appearances before leaving for AFC Bournemouth in January. With Ibrahima Konate signed up in a £36m deal from RB Leipzig, they inevitably fell down the pecking order.
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While Phillips is flourishing in the Championship as the Cherries close in on promotion to the Premier League, and will surely leave the club permanently in the summer, Williams' time in the second tier did not go as planned. Making just seven appearances during his time in South Wales, he returned to Anfield in January, and actually made his first Liverpool matchday squad appearance for 12 months as an unused substitute in midweek as the Reds beat Villarreal in the Champions League semi-finals.
In truth, it is the closest he is likely to get to a senior outing for Klopp’s side anytime soon. Instead, he’s been a regular for Barry Lewtas’ Under-23s side since his Liverpool return, and once again showed his quality on Sunday as the young Reds overcame Manchester United in their final Premier League 2 match of the season.
The 21-year-old scored Liverpool’s second goal in a 3-1 win, outjumping Paul McShane at the far post to power home a downward header for his second strike in 10 PL2 outings this season. They have been unbeaten from the last nine and, like the manner of the Reds’ victory over the Red Devils, for Williams it has all been a little too easy.
Alejandro Garnacho might have got in behind the defence to score a fine chipped effort to cancel out Liverpool’s opener, while United briefly threatened late on as they looked to net a late consolation, but for the defender and his team-mates, for the majority they had the game well under control as they snuffed out any rare attacks.
Meanwhile Leighton Clarkson, who also returned to Liverpool in January after a lack of game-time on loan with Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, saw a penalty saved before setting up Williams’ goal with a well-delivered corner as he once again dictated play from the middle of the park.
The duo have been crucial to the Under-23s’ upturn in form but they have outgrown Under-23s football. Boasting 52 senior appearances between them, both from at Anfield and out on loan, that is no surprise.
Aged 21 and 20 respectively, they are still young enough for this level but, with plenty of senior names ahead of them in Klopp’s thinking, will be better-served departing on loan again. Their experiences this season will do them no harm and make them even hungrier to succeed following their cut-short stints at the Liberty Stadium and Ewood Park.
And while they’ll first look to catch the German’s eye in pre-season, as another Under-23s campaign comes to an end, their performances for second-string at least show just how much both continue to improve as players. While their loans might now have gone to plan, the Academy’s development plan continues to thrive.
Senior experience
Williams and Clarkson weren’t the only two players with first team experience to feature for Liverpool Under-23s against Manchester United. While the duo’s outings for Klopp’s men both came last year, five other members of the starting XI that beat the Red Devils have made the step up this season.
From that quintet, Conor Bradley, Owen Beck and Tyler Morton have made debuts, while James Norris claimed ‘second’ debut, with his previous maiden outing actually coming under Neil Critchley’s watch in the League Cup defeat to Aston Villa back in 2019.
Considering Harvey Blair, Elijah Dixon-Bonner, Melkamu Frauendorf, Kaide Gordon and Max Woltman also registered game-time with the first team this year, it has been another successful season for the academy, with it’s true success far exceeding what could end up being a mid-table finish in Premier League 2.
Traditionally the next step for the youngsters would be to be called up to the first team for pre-season, and then hopefully be involved in Liverpool’s Far East tour. Indeed, with Pep Lijnders and Vitor Matos at the Academy, they were perhaps earmarking which youngsters could be called upon come the summer.
However, this close-season is going to be one like no other for Klopp’s ranks with no international tournaments taking place. As a result, the entire first team squad will be set to report for pre-season training from day one, with spaces for youngsters perhaps limited compared to previous years as a result.
The door to the first team is still ajar, however, as shown by the combined 43 senior Liverpool appearances collated by Lewtas’ starting XI against United. Having been given those first tastes, it’ll just give the next generation that little bit more to prove when they all report back for the new season.
Comeback kid
While a number of Liverpool Under-23s players are looking to make those next steps, either in Jurgen Klopp’s first team or out on loan away from Anfield, for one player who started against United, this season has just been about getting back to a previous level he had left behind.
Striker Layton Stewart had scored 17 goals last season, stepping up from Under-18s to Under-23s football in the process, before suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage while playing for the U23s against West Ham United at Kirkby in March 2021.
Only making his comeback as a substitute against the same opponents last month, he marked his first start with a goal against Leicester City last week as he completed an hour, before stepping up his comeback with 76 minutes under his belt against Manchester United.
While there was no goal against the Red Devils, the 19-year-old never stopped running and it was his high press that helped force Shola Shoretire’s own goal, pressuring goalkeeper Radek Vitek into missing his kick.
And up against the experience of Paul McShane, United’s 36-year-old Under-23s player-coach, who boasts over 400 career appearances including 98 in the Premier League for Sunderland and Hull City, Stewart showed why he was valued so highly by Reds staff prior to that ACL injury.
One particular highlight saw him bring the ball down brilliantly before turning the former Republic of Ireland international, leaving him in his dust as he burst into the box only for his cross to narrowly evade Jack Bearne in the middle. And by pressing the United defence and goalkeeper throughout, he never stopped running and demonstrated such attributes that you associate with Klopp’s senior side. After all, the whole purpose of Liverpool’s academy set-up is for their youth teams to play the same way as the seniors as they progress up through the system.
The fact that McShane was fielded in the middle of a back five, a system which neither Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick or incoming boss Erik ten Hag favour and one you won’t see United utilise, unless it’s a desperate throw of the dice in a failed attempt to silence Mohamed Salah and co. at Anfield of course, perhaps demonstrates why the Red Devils continue to flounder as a club while Liverpool flourish.
And with another game under his belt, Stewart will be looking to finish the season strongly in the Lancashire Cup Senior Final against Burnley in midweek, before kicking on again come pre-season. He was the youngster on Liverpool lips a little over a year ago when scoring goals for fun, now having slowly felt his way back into the mix he’ll be hungry to make up for lost time.
