Liverpool Reddit has named the next big U18 star and the best bit is that it’s not Bobby Duncan, Ki-Jana Hoever or Paul Glatzel.
User AayoTheRed has picked midfielder Leighton Clarkson as the next big thing to come out of the Academy.
Clarkson plays as a midfielder and has really flourished as the youth side have taken on teams like Spartak in the Youth League.
In the detailed post, AayoTheRed goes into great detail about the 17-year-old’s style of play, his strengths and his weaknesses. According to the OP, the former Blackburn youth lad is an extremely technical midfielder who can pick sides apart with his excellent passing range.
More from Rush The Kop
- Set to return, Virgil Van Dijk facing heavy criticism back home
- Liverpool making late comebacks all the rage once again
- Wolves tilt gives Klopp opportunity to tinker with lineup following international duty
- Players to watch in the matchup with Wolves
- Predicting Liverpool’s Next Five Premier League Fixtures
Clarkson is also calm under pressure, and possesses the ability to make room for himself in crowded areas of the pitch. Once he does that, the midfielder is then able to bring the rest of the side into play.
The midfielder was compared to Paul Scholes and Joe Allan for his knack of finding the ball in space, dribbling to improve the angle of delivery and then pinging passes to advanced players.
Of course, predicting which young players are going to make it isn’t an exact science (remember Michael Johnson). That’s why the poster goes to lengths to make say that Clarkson isn’t tipped for stardom just yet. But if he works hard and makes the most of his talent then there is no reason why he can’t make a career for himself in the top flight.
Liverpool have an incredibly promising crop of young players coming through the ranks. Trent Alexander-Arnold may be an established first team star now, but Rafa Camacho, Hoever, Adam Lewis and Curtis Jones look well positioned to join him over the next few years.
And that doesn’t even take into account Harry Wilson lighting up the Championship. He’s done everything Jurgen Klopp has asked of him and should be given a chance next season.