Jurgen Klopp has praised the youngsters that played for Liverpool against Preston North End in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
Liverpool progressed to the quarter-finals after a 2-0 victory in a match that saw two youngsters earn their first starts for the senior team and others get game time off the bench.
The German manager was impressed once again by 18-year-old Tyler Morton, who had previously made his debut for the club in the third round of the competition against Norwich City.
Morton earned his first start for the side at the base of the midfield three and his passing and vision helped Liverpool to fashion chances and find the net.
“Tyler is obviously a real talent, a real smart footballer. You can see this,” Klopp said after the match. “His natural movements, natural positions, are really good, so he is a real football-smart boy and the technique is really good.
“Now we have to make sure we help him with getting a body for football – he is not too small and not too skinny, but there is still a little bit to come and we have to make him ready for all that. It was a very positive impact again tonight.”
Harvey Blair was taken off at half-time after Liverpool struggled to string chances together but Conor Bradley came on in his place, pushing Neco Williams to the right wing.
The Northern Irish right-back produced a solid performance and Williams shone in the new role.
Klopp sees the upcoming international break as a chance for these youngsters to prove themselves.
“Elijah [Dixon-Bonnar (substitute)], for example, did exactly that. In the last international break he was incredible.
“He’s been long in the club already but was not really on the radar – and now all of a sudden he is there. He deserved these three or four minutes tonight.
“For a young boy, it’s a massive thing to play your first game for the first team and I’m really happy for him that we could give him the opportunity.
“So, there’s always a spot for these young boys. Owen Beck obviously impressed a lot in the pre-season, like Conor did. It’s good to have them.
“The problem is in the international break some of them are as well on tour with the national teams, so then they cannot train with us. But the others can and that’s good.”
