Talented Teens
Curtis, Neco and Harvey
When Curtis Jones, Neco Williams and Harvey Elliott recall their 2019/20 season with Liverpool FC in years to come, they'll do so fondly. While they can't pull on a red shirt right now, each has reached significant milestones in their fledgling careers this season.
Local lad Curtis Jones had already made his Reds debut last season, playing against Wolverhampton Wanderers FC in the FA Cup, but this season set a new Club record that may never be broken.
At the age of 19 years and five days old, the Toxteth-born midfielder captained Liverpool FC in the FA Cup 4th round replay against Shrewsbury Town FC at Anfield. In doing so, he became the youngest player to skipper the Redmen since the Club was formed in 1892.
To put that into some sort of context, the previous record-holder was Alex Raisbeck, who was 20 years and 250 days old when captaining LFC all the way back in 1900.
“It's a dream come true,” said Jones. “My dream is to captain the team because it's an unbelievable club. It's got an unbelievable history, it's got unbelievable fans and it's an amazing feeling to just be out there and playing. But to captain the team is an extra bit special.”
For Raisbeck's run to last for 120 years suggests that Jones may find his name in the Anfield record books for a long time, yet that's far from his only milestone in 2019/20.
In September he made his Carabao Cup debut against Milton Keynes Dons FC and in December his Premier League debut came as a substitute in the 3-0 win at AFC Bournemouth. Between those two games, Jones capped his Anfield debut by scoring the winning penalty, at the Kop end, in a Carabao Cup shoot-out success against Arsenal FC following an epic 5-5 draw.
Also making an impact in the two games against the Shrews was right-back Neco Williams. Shrewsbury Town FC scored own goals in each of the two games and both of them came from crosses by the 18-year-old right-back.
At the Montgomery Waters Meadow the Welshman's cross was turned into his own net by Donald Love, while it was from Williams' diagonal ball towards Harvey Elliott that namesake Ro-Shaun Williams headed the decisive own goal in the Anfield replay.
“I was happy that I contributed to the goal and could claim the assist,” he said regarding that 1-0 win. “When I was going through the ranks I've always been a winger, so I've always had that attacking scenario in my mind and my play.
“I think when I was U16s I got moved to right-back and since then I've always been a right-back. I've always had the attacking play in me, and I now obviously have to work on and have been working on defensive play.”
They weren't the first assists of Williams' Liverpool FC career. He made his first-team debut in the Carabao Cup 4th round against Arsenal FC in October and it was from his cross that Divock Origi struck a 90th minute equaliser to make it 5-5 and send the game to penalties.
Having also started in the FA Cup clashes with Everton FC and Chelsea FC this season, Williams has three assists in five appearances at right-back – a statistic to give Trent Alexander-Arnold a run for his money.
“Trent was at the Academy from a young age and he's gone up through the ranks. Now he's obviously one of the best right-backs in the world and he's playing unbelievably,” he said.
“When I'm training obviously I'm trying to focus on myself and my own game, but at the same time I'm watching Trent and trying to study how he plays also. I try to take bits and parts of what he does into my game. I think that's what I've been doing since I've been going up to Melwood. That's definitely improving me as a player.”
While Harvey Elliott has yet to register a goal or an assist in his seven first-team appearances for the Reds so far, the recently turned 17-year-old has already clocked up plenty of landmarks during his debut season for Liverpool FC.
Signed last summer from Fulham FC, where in May 2019 he became the Premier League's youngest ever player aged 16 years and 30 days old, Elliott won a medal before even making his debut as he was an unused substitute in the UEFA Super Cup final success against Chelsea FC in Istanbul.
His LFC debut followed a month later against Milton Keynes Dons FC in the Carabao Cup 3rd round, making him the Club's youngest ever starter at the age of 16 years and 174 days old. Elliott struck the woodwork twice in that game, denying him another place in history as no 16-year-old has ever scored a first-team goal for Liverpool Football Club.
In the next round, at home to Arsenal FC, the Londoner set a new Club record for being the youngest ever player to start a match at Anfield before making his first Premier League appearance for the Reds as a substitute against Sheffield United FC in January.
“Great team performance from the lads today,” he wrote on his Instagram page. “On a personal note, I'm delighted to make my Premier League debut for my childhood club!”
The boyhood Red then added another couple of records to his name against Everton FC in the FA Cup. At the age of 16 years and 276 days old, Elliott became the youngest player to appear for Liverpool FC in both the FA Cup and a Merseyside derby.
Having celebrated his 17th birthday on 4th April, Elliott could yet be only the sixth 17-year-old to net for LFC, following Michael Owen, Raheem Sterling, Jordan Rossiter, Ben Woodburn and Ki-Jana Hoever.
Even if that doesn't happen in 2019/20, it has still been a season that Elliott, Curtis Jones and Neco Williams will remember for a long time, not least as all three were unused substitutes in the FIFA Club World Cup final victory against CR Flamengo in Qatar, earning them winners' medals.
