Meet Liverpool’s “sublime” teenager who could be their own Phil Foden

Liverpool’s seemingly inexorable pursuit of triumph in the Premier League this season might seem to be written in the stars following lionised Jurgen Klopp’s declaration that he will step down from his manager’s position in the summer, having rebuilt Anfield as a major player in Europe after joining in 2015.

However – and it’s a big however, unfortunately – Manchester City do not care for Liverpool’s poetic ambitions and neither do Arsenal, who are ravenous for success under Mikel Arteta after missing out on the title last season.

Liverpool are first-placed in the Premier League, true, but boast a one-point advantage over the defending champions and will be only two points above Arsenal if they win against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Monday evening.

In February, Liverpool beat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final to complete the first piece of a potential quadruple, visiting Old Trafford in the FA Cup quarter-finals and bookmakers’ favourites to win the Europa League.

All this despite an injury-ravaged squad that has belied its threadbare look, with a robust group of academy graduates contributing immensely across recent weeks.

Jayden Danns, Lewis Koumas, Bobby Clark, Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah – the list goes on. While these starlets have had a big effect, it might just be that Ben Doak, who has been sidelined with injury across the past few months, is the cream of the crop.

Ben Doak’s Liverpool career so far

Hailed as a “prodigy” by Liverpool youth correspondent Keifer MacDonald, Doak arrived from Scottish champions Celtic for a compensation fee of just £600,000 back in 2022, with incredible pace and directness blending with a persistence that pays off.

With 11 goals and eight assists for Liverpool’s development sides from only 23 appearances, Doak swiftly asserted himself as one of English football’s most talented youngsters and indeed earned a first-team role far before the lion’s share of Liverpool’s prodigious academy stars, who has taken the limelight of late.

Earning five senior outings last season, Doak retained a regular role in Klopp’s set-up after the summer break and started three Europa League games, notably completing an eye-catching 2.7 dribbles per game, as per Sofascore.

Liverpool’s recent praise has been built on the foundation of Kirkby Academy’s rise, and though Doak has been recuperating from knee surgery in December that will see him remain sidelined for the foreseeable future, there is no question that he would have played a key part in overcoming Liverpool’s injury problems of late.

Doak, valued at £9m by Transfermarkt despite his age and inexperience, is arguably the Anfield side’s most talented youngster to have featured for the first team so far, but he might not be the real pick of the litter, with Kieran Morrison riding the crest of a wave since moving to Merseyside.

Kieran Morrison may be a bigger talent than Ben Doak

2006-born Morrison joined Liverpool from Manchester United as an U14 and while he has not broken into Klopp’s plans yet, there is no doubt that he is one of the brightest gems in a youth fold bedecked with top-class talent, having been hailed for his “sublime” technique by journalist Jack Lusby.

Morrison penned new terms with the side in February after being heavily linked with a move away last summer and is now comfortably one of the standout performers in the U18 Premier League, posting seven goals and three assists from 11 starting appearances.

The 17-year-old is competent across a range of roles but appears to be at his most prolific when deployed on either wing, as opposed to a central midfield position, with manager Marc-Bridge-Wilkinson hailing his elegant skill set.

He said: “Kieran is a good technician. He is good with the ball at his feet, he likes to carry the ball and he can go past people and he can finish. He’s not afraid to risk the ball at the right times and try to create something for the team.”

As such, he might even prove to be Liverpool’s very own version of Phil Foden, the Manchester City sensation an utterly mesmerising member of Pep Guardiola’s outfit.

Long considered one of English football’s brightest talents, Foden is now indisputably world-class and has plundered 18 goals and ten assists across 40 appearances in all competitions this season as his imperious club search for an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title.

Moreover, the England international ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 9% for assists, the top 2% for pass completion and the top 16% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

Foden’s gliding gait and supreme technical ability have created his success at the very highest level and Morrison would be wise to look to emulate him as he pushes closer toward a first-team debut.

The diminutive Foden is a master at breaking lines with his low centre of gravity, wheeling away from defenders and using his game intelligence to unleash mayhem on opposing backlines.

Both Morrison and Doak could take a leaf from his book in this regard, both with the trappings of such a player and capable of replicating certain facets of his game.

Whether Klopp chooses to hand Morrison his senior debut before the close of the campaign remains to be seen at this stage but, without doubt, he is on his way to prominence and must continue to ply his trade diligently to emerge as a prospect levels above the recent success stories down at Anfield’s remarkable production line.