Former Red identifies two rising stars who could step up this season
Former Liverpool Academy graduate Stephen Warnock has identified which young Reds he believes can impress Jurgen Klopp in pre-season.
With Alberto Moreno on his way out of the club and Andy Robertson the only senior out-and-out left-back now at the club, the time could be right for younger stars to step up and fill the void.
And Warnock thinks two players in particular will look to catch the eye this summer: Adam Lewis and Yasser Larouci.
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“When you see one of the first-team players in Moreno leaving the club, Adam has got to look at that now and think, ‘Is this an opportunity for me?’, Warnock told Liverpoolfc.com.
“We know the manager will look at the youth and give them a chance, but I think he will also be looking to bring someone in as well.
“What Adam has to do is hit the ground running, make the most of pre-season and you have to try and press upon to the manager, so he has a doubt in his mind to think, ‘Do I actually need to go and buy another left-back?’.
“Can the likes of Adam and Yasser put a seed in the manager’s mind of positivity towards the way they play.
“Adam can also play in a number of positions, including midfield, but sometimes when you have that versatility it can also be detrimental to you because a manager might say they don’t know what your best position is.
“Sometimes you are better off nailing down a space and going after that position, very much like Trent [Alexander-Arnold] at the moment who used to play in midfield and look at him now, he is one of the best right-backs in world football, certainly the most promising right-back.
“Adam needs to look at it and think, ‘What is my best opportunity of forcing my way into the manager’s plans?,’ and I think that is at left-back.”
Warnock added: “Yasser enjoyed a very good season. When you have his running power and the way he likes to get forward, it actually suits him because he’s not fazed when he gets wide and he has to try and beat a player.
“He has also got the speed to get back into position. Yes, he does need to get better defensively, but once he learns he has got that speed where not many people will beat him in a one-v-one situation.
“Yasser is very powerful and difficult to stop, so for me he is an exciting prospect and one that has adapted very quickly to the left-back role.
“I also think he understands the position quite well for someone who only played there for a short period of time.
“In the FA Youth Cup final, Yasser for me was one of Liverpool’s best performers on the night.
“When you are looking for someone to take the game by the scruff of the neck and someone to get on the ball and make that happen, he was that player.
“He was superb on the night. Yes, he got caught out a couple of times, but he recovered well and will learn from that very quickly.
“Going forward, he is such an asset to have in your team and his fitness levels are great.”
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Source: anfieldhq.com
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