Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott is ‘not ready’ to play in the Premier League every week, according to former top-flight player Frank McAvennie.
The Lowdown: Making the step up
Speaking to The Guardian in a recent interview, the 19-year-old said that it’s a ‘one in a million dream’ to be able to play for the club he supported as a boy, and insisted that he feels no pressure over the Reds’ underwhelming start to the season.
The Chertsey-born talent has made 13 league appearances so far this term, which is already seven more than he had in the entire 2021/22 campaign after recovering from injury and being given more responsibility by Jurgen Klopp.
The Latest: McAvennie has Elliott doubts
Speaking to Football Insider, though, McAvennie suggested that Elliott is only playing so regularly as a result of Liverpool not having strong enough options at their disposal.
He insisted: “Elliott is not ready. He is not ready to play for Liverpool every week. He is a good player but when you are coming up against top players, he will get found out and it could burn him out.
“It just shows you Klopp has not got the ammunition that he needs. I do not think he wants to play Elliott every week. I like him and he is a homegrown player, the fans love him, the manager loves him but I do not think he is ready.“
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The Verdict: Completely disagree
Whilst Liverpool will likely look to strengthen their midfield in January, Elliott has been hailed as an ‘outrageous’ player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and has already proven what he’s capable of this season.
The Reds diamond has three goals to his name in the current campaign, including his first two at Champions League level, and he offers Klopp plenty of versatility having also operated on the right-hand side of attack (Transfermarkt).
Young players are only ever going to develop through experience, and having handled himself perfectly on the European stage, it’s hard to believe that he’s not ready to compete in the top flight on a regular basis.
Sorry, Mr McAvennie, but we don’t share your view on this one.