5 Liverpool U21 standouts who made a statement in Leeds friendly

Liverpool’s pre-season U.S. tour ended in a 4-2 defeat to Leeds United at Soldier Field in Chicago. The lack of defensive depth was highlighted during the second-half defensive collapse of the friendly the Reds surrendered 4 goals in under 30 minutes – and there’s a growing sense of urgency for the hierachy to make some moves between now and August 23rd when the squad visits Newcastle to kickoff their 2026/27 season.

While the team's defensive frailties were ultimately exposed after the interval, the first-half display showcased the bright futures of several youngsters who seized their opportunity Rush the Kop have picked out a few bright sparks here

Luke Chambers, the 22-year-old who has been with Liverpool since the age of 6, began the match on a high note and opened up the scoring in the 7th minute.

Chambers is usually listed as a left-back but, due to the injuries the Reds are dealing with at centre-back, has been moved and is still getting acclimated to the change. With his passing ability and obvious nose for the ball, Chambers has surpassed supporters’ expectations.

The academy graduate has been on loan the past couple of seasons, including a stay at both Wigan and Charlton Athletic, but appears to have solidified a spot in the Reds rotation to start the season.

A number of the U21 Liverpool team members also featured in the lineup again, including: Kieran Morrison, Trey Nyoni, Mor Talla Ndiaye, and Ifeanyi Ndukwe.

Kieran Morrisson

Two games removed from scoring his first first-team goal for Liverpool, Kieran Morrison had a lackluster performance against Leeds, earning a 6.5 match rating from Fotmob. The 19-year-old midfielder started alongside Florian Wirtz and Rio Ngumoha, and credit to Leeds’ defenders, who played big and quick after conceding the first two goals of the match, made it difficult for Morrison to get involved, essentially shutting him down for 68 minutes and making the Liverpool attack as a whole appear disjointed and chaotic, especially over the course of the second half.

Trey Nyoni

Trey Nyoni, who is drawing comparisons to Rodri on social media, played 45 minutes and recorded a shot on target from outside the box, and even though it was a decent strike, at best, it displays confidence as well as trust from the coaching staff.

Nyoni also threw up a successful cross in the match. The 19-year-old Englishman has been heavily relied upon this preseason and supporters believe he has earned a spot in the starting XI when the season kicks off for Liverpool at St. James’ Park in three weeks.

His positioning on set-pieces was at times questionable, but this is an issue that has plagued the Reds for a year and it appears there’s more improvements to be made. Overall, his play has been a bright spot over the last several friendlies, which is a relief because the Reds are going to need his defensive talent on the pitch.

Mor Talla Ndiaye

After getting his first start for Liverpool against Sunderland last weekend in Nashville, Ndiaye’s was subbed on late against Leeds where his minutes were cut down to 20. Despite the small sample size, the talented and aggressive, yet young centre-back displayed flashes of talent and if called upon during the 2026-27 regular season, the 18-year-old has proven he has the potential to be up for the challenge.

Ifeanyi Ndukwe

Ifeanyi Ndukwe has seen plenty of action throughout the U.S. tour and his involvement continued against Leeds as he recorded 66 successful passes (86 touches), the most by any player of either side throughout the match.

The 18-year-old center-back posted a 5.2 match rating on Fotmob, the lowest rating he has received this preseason, and one that seems a bit harsh from both the eye test as well as the stat sheet. Even with the volume of touches, he still completed 90% of his passes and turned the ball over just once in his 90 minutes played. 

Shoring up the defense doesn’t all have to be done at once and the academy has fortunately produced enough talent to buy the club some time before the season begins, but the team is one or two injuries away from the back half being stretched too thin in what has the potential to be a long season if depth isn’t added sooner rather than later.

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