View: Liverpool youth ace Kaide Gordon has chance to wow Arne Slot as he’s spotted at AXA
Liverpool youngster Kaide Gordon has been spotted training with the first-team at the AXA Training Centre ahead of Arne Slot’s first pre-season.
Slot revealed in his first Liverpool press conference (5 July), that there will be opportunities for the youth players to progress into the first-team this season.
Last season saw the likes of Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, Bobby Clark, Jayden Danns, James McConnell, Lewis Koumas and 17-year-old Trey Nyoni make their first-team berth under Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds have also agreed a deal to sign 15-year-old Rio Nguhoma from Chelsea (The Athletic, 10 July) as the club aim to build for the future.
Liverpool forgotten man Gordon ready to step up
The performances of the club’s academy stars was one of the only shining lights in what proved to be an underwhelming 2023/24 season for Liverpool.
Klopp ensured he left Anfield with a trophy as they lifted the Carabao cup in February but ultimately crashed out of the FA cup, Europa League and Premier League title race.
Whilst the spotlight was on Bobby Clark, James McConnell and Jayden Danns who scored a brace against Southampton in the FA cup in February, Gordon’s return to the first-team flew under the radar.
The 19-year-old started the 2-1 defeat away to Union SG in the Europa League back in December, his first appearance since 2022.
He made his senior debut in the League cup against Norwich and signed his first professional contract shortly after.
Gordon went on to make four appearances across all domestic competitions for the Reds in the 2021/22 season and scored his first goal against Shrewsbury Town in the FA cup to become the club’s youngest ever goal scorer in the competition.
He also started the Carabao cup semi-final second leg against Arsenal at the Emirates.
His development was halted when a pelvic growth issue sidelined him for a year and a half as he missed the entirety of the 2022/23 season (The Athletic, 5 July 2023).
Gordon is still highly thought of at the club and they showed their faith in the youngster with a new long-term contract in May (liverpoolfc.com, 10 May).
The Reds will be eager to make up for lost time and find avenues to fast-track his development, whether that be at Anfield or a season out on loan.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones were the only academy graduates to become first-team regulars before last season.
Now it is becoming more of a regular occurrence at Liverpool and a welcome one as the club’s brightest academy prospects aim to impress Slot.
In other Liverpool news, Liverpool to be strengthened by proposed FSG purchase of Bordeaux.
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