Highly rated 19-year-old ‘happy I left’ Liverpool after contract rejection

A former Liverpool starlet is happy he left the club.

It’s not a sentence we hear very often as those with pedigree tend to stick around to see if they can crack the first team, especially under Jurgen Klopp.

There’s a clear pathway for those who are deemed good enough, while Klopp isn’t afraid to turn towards an Academy option if required.

That stance has seen Rhys Williams, Curtis Jones, Neco Williams and Harvey Elliott make their debuts over the past few campaigns.

Rhian Brewster was another to come through the Kirkby talent factory, and although he’s been sold to Sheffield United, the starlet is highly rated and Liverpool still retain a buy-back clause in his contract.

But Edvard Tagseth wasn’t happy to hang around. He rejected a new contract with Liverpool, said the Echo, and decided to try and crack senior football back in his homeland of Norway.

Tagseth saw his time on Merseyside blighted by injury, but Academy staff still saw enough in him to try and secure his future to a new contract. While the youngster made friends at Liverpool, he’s glad he’s back in his homeland.

"“I miss my friends and the coaches, but I’m happy I left. The only reason I went to Liverpool was to play football and when that didn’t happen, I thought my future there wasn’t going to be in the first-team, so I thought I would try something new.”"

If getting first team minutes was his aim, then the youngster will feel completely fulfilled by his decision to join Rosenborg. Since leaving the Reds, he’s played 22 games in the Norwegian top flight and twice in the Europa League.

It was a brave decision, and it certainly seems like it’s paid off for Tagseth. The path from Norway to a top five European league is clearly established, and if he continues to play games and develop as a footballer we could see him back in England.

For now he’ll have to be satisfied with watching his former teammates Williams, Williams and Jones running out for Liverpool. With Klopp’s reputation, you wouldn’t be surprised if all three were involved against West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.