Neil Mellor calls Rhian Brewster a ‘top class player’

Former Liverpool starlet has called young prospect Rhian Brewster a ‘top class player’ after he’s enjoyed a successful time at Swansea City.

The ex-footballer was talking to Goal about who he rates among the Liverpool set-up and singled out the England U17 World Cup winner for high praise.

We’re lucky to have a few good prospects in the academy ranks and Rhian Brewster is one of them, alongside Curtis Jones and Neco Williams. The three have been around the first team set up for a year now, and Neil Mellor singled out Leighton Clarkson as a player who could join them.

Brewster first burst onto the scene when he was the top scorer during the U17 World Cup as he shared a pitch with Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Callum Hudson-Odoi but injuries have held the forward back in a way that hasn’t happened with the other three.

It took awhile for him to sign professional terms amid interest from nearly everywhere else, plus it’s been difficult to crack the first team with Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah clogging up the queue.

That led to Brewster being sent out on loan to Swansea City, a club in the Championship, where he has had an impact. He started all but one game since he arrived in Wales and scored four times as well.

This is the first taste of senior football the youngster has had and it’s fair to say that things are going well. We’ve known he was a rare talent for some time now, but to see him fit seamlessly into the second tier – and score goals – is vindication for the lad.

Which is why it makes so much sense for Mellor to praise him in the way that he has.

"“He has personality to change games, he works hard. He’s the best centre-forward we’ve seen coming through at Liverpool in a long time. There’s a top-class player there.”"

The suspension of football have put the breaks on that for a little while, but there’s no doubt he’ll be able to come back and build on that promising start to professional life when things get back to normal.