Trey Nyoni is the youngest member of Liverpool’s first-team squad and his training displays are pushing him closer to a first appearance of the season.
The 17-year-old was pictured front and centre of the club’s website and social media channels earlier this month as news of his first professional contract was made public. Nyoni agreed the terms much earlier in the season as the fast-tracking process continued seamlessly despite the changes in the coaching team.
It was Jurgen Klopp who gave the teenager his debut as a late substitute in the 3-0 FA Cup fifth-round win against Southampton in February of this year and Liverpool’s then manager spoke passionately about his qualities. “What a player he is. Oh my God,” said Klopp.
Since taking over as head coach in the summer, Arne Slot and his backroom staff feel equally as enthused and have included Nyoni in both the travelling party to Premier League games this season as well as the squad for the Champions League.
Of all the players to appear in the latter competition across the 36 competing clubs so far this season, only Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and AC Milan’s Francesco Camarda are younger than Nyoni, which explains why Slot is still protecting him. There’s a careful and considered plan in place to mix first-team involvement with youth-level development football. He doesn’t take part in every training session with the seniors, for example, and it’s important for him to continue playing games, given that he hasn’t featured yet under Slot.
It’s why on Saturday, Nyoni played for Liverpool Under-21s in a 2-0 loss to their Everton counterparts rather than travelling with the first team to London for the Premier League game against Arsenal the following afternoon.
He was the youngest player on the pitch in that match, having only turned 17 in June, but was one of the more consistent performers in a team that did everything in the game but score. The cultured midfielder had a late chance that was superbly saved, but it was his ability on the ball and the know-how to pick the right pass in dangerous areas that made him stand out.
Liverpool Under-21s manager Barry Lewtas is enjoying working with Nyoni and was quick to remind The Athletic about his talent after the Everton defeat: “The kids are young and they will always have moments in the games where you’re wanting to see more, but look at his performances last season, they were not at the level of a 16-year-old. They were a lot more.”
Lewtas knows that Nyoni now needs to “find a bit of rhythm” if he is going to keep pushing for a first appearance under Slot, who he is learning a lot from during the first-team sessions at the club’s Kirkby base. “Everyone just grows and matures, and training with those types of players day in and day out, you are certainly going to learn and develop,” Lewtas adds. “I’ve seen improvement in all the players but certainly for him, he’s up against real quality every day. You can definitely see that he’s on the right path and that is really important.”
Nyoni was signed from Leicester City’s academy in September last year, after shining for their under-18s team at age 15. He was tracked by every top club in the country at the time, but Liverpool won the race when they laid out a clear pathway for his future.
Slot was told about his talent when he arrived at the club and quickly integrated him into the early training sessions before handing him a place in the squad for the three-match pre-season tour in the United States.
Nyoni then scored in a 4-1 friendly win over Sevilla at Anfield and captained the side in the first UEFA Youth League match against AC Milan, before being promoted to the bench for the Champions League games with Bologna and RB Leipzig.
With so much optimism around his future, the belief is that these matchday experiences will help him understand the demands placed on the players in the senior setup and how Slot wants his team to perform. For a youngster at such a tender age, he does well to knit a midfield together, dropping deep to help build attacks, and always looks so comfortable on the ball.
As the baby of the group, he’s been the subject of playful banter by the older players and captain Virgil van Dijk has offered soothing words and given him some useful advice — as he does to many of Liverpool’s youngsters — about enjoying the experience and finding a way to make an impact.
Liverpool’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup’s round of 16 today (Wednesday) may offer an opportunity as some of the regular starters in midfield are likely to be rested.
Slot has rotated four central-midfield players — Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones — in the most important games so far and is not a manager who regularly makes wholesale changes.
He was keen to cut down the size of the squad he inherited from Klopp, allowing midfielders Bobby Clark and Stefan Bajcetic (loan) to join Red Bull Salzburg as Wataru Endo and Tyler Morton were both recognised as adequate backup if needed. Endo and Morton remain ahead of Nyoni in the pecking order and are likely to get a chance for extended minutes this week.
Nyoni didn’t make the squad for the 5-1 defeat of West Ham United in the previous round last month but his time is edging closer.
(Top photo: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
