It hasn't taken Stefan Bajcetic long to become part of the furniture at Liverpool.
The 18-year-old may have just a half-dozen Premier League appearances to his name but his ascent has already been duly noted by the club in its Anfield artwork inside the bowels of the stadium, where his likeness has been printed on to the 'Liverpool Football Club' wall stenciling.
For someone who didn't make his senior debut until November, it represents quite the nod of recognition from the club itself, but it's entirely in-keeping with the rise the teen has enjoyed in a breakout campaign so far under Jurgen Klopp.
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It was in late 2020 when Liverpool mobilised to aggressively gazump Manchester United to secure 16-year-old Bajcetic for £240,000 from Celta Vigo. Initially brought in as a centre-back, it quickly became apparent the teenager was better suited to a defensive midfield role.
Bajcetic was Liverpool's final signing before the introduction of the new rules that were brought in following the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union. Head of Academy scouting, Matt Newberry, has been credited with helping the Reds beat United to the versatile youngster's signature and his rapid ascension through the ranks was rewarded with a long-term contract that was handed out in late January.
His emergence has been timely for Klopp as he has tried to wrestle with a plethora of problems in midfield around fitness and form for key players and it's telling of both of Bajcetic's quality and the underperformance of others that Monday's appearance in the 2-0 win over Everton saw him become the youngest ever midfielder to start five successive games for the Reds.
That statistic highlights both the problems Klopp is dealing with and also why Bajcetic is increasingly being viewed as at least a solution even if not the definitive one. But at a time when Liverpool's fanbase seem transfixed by the long-term future of 19-year-old Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund, the No.43 has at least shown there's another teenage midfielder, much closer to home, who is also worth being excited about.
Bajcetic's emergence doesn't negate the need for high-calibre central midfield additions this coming summer, nor will his ongoing performances be used as a reason not to recruit significantly in that area of the pitch, but the sudden and perhaps surprise arrival at senior level will only add to the excitement of what could be a new-look department in the coming months.
At a time when Liverpool are struggling for form, consistency and results, it's been easy to single out the Spanish youth international for praise. While other, more senior members of the Reds squad are labouring, seeing the positives in an emerging youth product is easier than normal.
But when a young hopeful is still turning in a Man of the Match performance in a victorious Merseyside derby when so many others looked much improved, it becomes clear that Liverpool have a rare talent on their hands.
"He’s a great player and a great person," said Mohamed Salah after Monday's derby triumph. "He always tries to work hard and I think that since he’s started playing with us he’s our best player. Hopefully he still has that confidence and we just keep going."
Captain Jordan Henderson, who had sat out the last four games largely as a result of of his less experienced colleague's form, added: "I'm very impressed. He has been outstanding since he has come into the team. What we have needed over the last few weeks, even though the performances haven't been great, he has been the one that has probably stood out and performed to the levels he is capable of and tonight was the same."
Having already moved from centre-half to midfield at Liverpool, Bajcetic was once more being asked to learn a new discipline, operating as one of two more advanced central midfielders against Everton, or, in Klopp parlance 'a No.8'.
"We put him in a new position," Klopp said after the game. "I don’t think he’d ever played in the position before. He came here as a kid as a centre-half and played now as a No.6 in a few games and tonight as a No.8 and a lot of moments as a double six. He did extremely well. It was quite a good performance, to be honest."
The player himself said of his new role: "I thought it would be less comfortable, but it was good, I enjoyed it a lot." It's one he can expect to continue in for now as Liverpool look to use the derby win as a foothold in a largely troublesome campaign so far.
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