In Focus: The Liverpool starlets aiming to make an impact at Anfield

Jurgen Klopp is not averse to giving youngsters an opportunity in the Liverpool first team. 

He made a teenage Mario Gotze a key cog in his Borussia Dortmund side before building an attacking style around academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold. 

The Reds have struck gold with their youth set-up throughout the Premier League era, with the likes of Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard all coming up through the ranks. 

We take a look at five players who could make a big impression at Anfield.

Tyler Morton

Tyler Morton found himself on the fringes of Liverpool's first team towards the end of 2021. 

In a short period, he went from making his debut in the Carabao Cup to appearing in the Champions League, as well as making his first Premier League start away to Tottenham. 

With Liverpool not looking to bring in an understudy to Fabinho this summer — Real Madrid are set to sign rumoured target Aurelien Tchouameni — the 19-year-old could find himself drafted in as the Brazilian's back-up from time to time next season. 

If he manages to impress, the club could well shelve their defensive midfield recruitment plans.

Kaide Gordon

Signed from Derby as a 16-year-old, Kaide Gordon has enjoyed quite the rise on Merseyside. 

He became the club's youngest ever FA Cup goalscorer when he netted against Shrewsbury last term — and his performance convinced Klopp to start him in the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal. 

The German tactician singled out the youngster, now 17, ahead of that clash. 

He said: "Kaide is always in our minds because he is an exceptional talent. He had a little drop in form which is completely normal for his age. 

"He is an outstanding talent, he is always in my mind as long as he is fit. We will see where that leads. 

"The Shrewsbury game helped a lot, he experienced proper adult football and he dealt with it. It's important for his development."

Max Woltman

Debuts do not get much more memorable than Max Woltman's first appearance for Liverpool — coming off the bench at the San Siro during a Champions League clash with AC Milan. 

The 18-year-old striker then led the line in last season's win over Shrewsbury, so will be keen to taste more first team action over the coming months. 

And he could well get that opportunity if reports that the Reds are not making any more signings this summer are accurate. 

Liverpool may have added Darwin Nunez and Fabio Carvalho to their attacking ranks but they have lost three forwards in Sadio Mane, Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino. 

There may be some minutes up for grabs in cup competitions — and Woltman could be first in line to claim them.

Curtis Jones

Curtis Jones has had a topsy-turvy couple of years. 

Thrust into the spotlight during the 2020-21 campaign due to the sheer number of injuries Liverpool had, the young midfielder played plenty of football — well over 1,500 minutes across all competitions. 

It skewed expectations, with many assuming he would build on that in 2021-22. 

However, his game time was managed and he racked up just 855 minutes in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old will be looking to have a greater role this time around — especially with the Reds reportedly opting to delay signing an additional midfielder for another 12 months.

This is a perfect opportunity for him to make an impression.

James Balagizi

Manchester-born James Balagizi has had an interesting youth career to date.

 He started out with Liverpool before making the switch to Manchester City. But after a few seasons there, the England Under-19s international made the decision to return to Merseyside

Balagizi is a classic box-to-box midfielder. His varied skill set means he is able to play as a No8 and a No10 — and he has even featured out wide for the Under-23s.

Standing at 6ft 2in, the 18-year-old has everything required to make the step up.

Liverpool are looking to freshen things up in midfield, with James Milner set to leave next summer and Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara not getting any younger. 

Few within Klopp's ranks have the profile of Balagizi, so he could carve himself out a role within the squad — not just this season but in the long-term.