MEET THE KOP KIDS
From Quansah to Koumas, Liverpool’s cup-winning youngsters promise a bright future for the club...
As Liverpool’s squad walked up the famous Wembley steps after the Carabao Cup final they looked more like a queue of schoolkids getting their lunch than a band of new heroes about to collect a medal after etching their names into folklore.
Five of the XI who finished the win against Chelsea were aged 21 or under, and only match-winner Virgil van Dijk would be guaranteed a place in Liverpool’s best team if Jurgen Klopp had the rarely seen luxury of a fully fit squad.
so, let’s get to know the members of the Kindergarten Kop, from those who featured at the national stadium to the next ones on the production line set to play in tomorrow’s FA Cup fifth-round tie against southampton…
BOBBY CLARK, Age 19
DEsCRIBED by one source close to the academy during a pre- season tour of singapore as ‘the best kid in the building’ and would have played more this campaign but for injury. Just before his return, he was rewarded with a new contract at the club he joined from Newcastle in 2021.
His father, former Newcastle fan favourite Lee Clark, was instrumental in the teenager moving to Merseyside and it is understood Liverpool rejected loan approaches from Derby and Bristol City in late January.
Clark is an energetic midfielder who has shown impressive goalscoring traits at youth level. ‘The development of Bobby Clark... oops, that’s really crazy,’ said Klopp on sunday. He is set to make his full debut against southampton at Anfield after seven substitute appearances this season.
JAMES McCONNELL, 19
ANOTHER signed from the North East as a kid, this time sunderland. McConnell spent most of his development years as an attacking midfielder but has been moulded into a deep-lying No 6 by Klopp and Pep Lijnders this season.
started his footballing life at Cramlington Juniors, the team who Alan shearer and several other Premier League footballers have played for. A youth scout tells Mail Sport: ‘I’ll never forget the night I first saw him. I got straight on the phone, “Who is this lad? Is he in an academy yet?”.’
JARELL QUANSAH, 21
sUNDAY’s Carabao Cup final marked a year since he was playing in League One for Bristol Rovers against Oxford United. Klopp has been astounded by the centre back’s progress, with Quansah playing 20 first-team games — firstly out of necessity but then on merit.
Warrington- born Quansah joined Liverpool aged five and has always towered over fellow kids. He is an old-school defender in a no-nonsense, commanding way but has a calmness and confidence on the ball that belies his age.
CONOR BRADLEY, 20
A FAIRYTALE but also heartbreaking start to 2024 for the Northern Irish right back, who got his break in the Liverpool team in January but also lost his father, Joe, after a long illness. sunday was a proud day for his family, including mother Linda, as he starred in the final.
Bradley has an amateur referee in County Tyrone to thank in part for his stardom, after he recommended him to semi- professional club Dungannon swifts, where he was spotted by Liverpool. He impressed in pre-season but a back injury saw him miss four months.
JAYDEN DANNS, 18
sON of former Premier League midfielder Neil Danns, grandson of former Eurovision backing singer and champion skateboarder Neil Danns snr. ‘I loved him from the first second,’ said Klopp of the striker, who only joined first-team training at the turn of the year.
Like the kid he is, Danns is said to spend time in the garden working on his first touch, and scored in his first 11
games for Liverpool’s Under 18s this season. Missed a year of football with Osgood-schlatter disease as he shot up from 5ft 2in to 6ft.
LEWIS KOUMAS, 18
YOU get the gist now… another Liverpool youngster with a famous dad — this time former Wales midfielder Jason Koumas. His son has been endorsed by Welsh legend Gareth Bale on Instagram, too, which is not to be sniffed at.
Koumas, nicknamed ‘Louie’ by most, was originally a midfielder but has been moulded as a No 9 in recent months. The 18-year- old has been described as an ‘absolute nuisance’ by scouts and was poached from Tranmere in 2016 — much to their anger.
TREY NYONI, 16
AGED only 16, the midfielder could make his debut this week after joining from Leicester in the summer. He was noticed by head of academy recruitment Matt Newberry in a talent-spotting drive that is now much more locally focused due to Brexit rules on signing youngsters from overseas.
Nyoni was born in England in 2007, two years after Liverpool won the 2005 Champions League in Istanbul, to Zimbabwean parents. The Reds beat top clubs such as Manchester United to his signature and he is described as the best midfielder of his age group in England.
KAIDE GORDON, 19
THE winger scored in front of the Kop against shrewsbury in the FA Cup in 2022 but has barely featured since due to a condition best described as growing pains, similar to Danns. Gordon is one of five siblings which includes brother Kellan, a midfielder for Crawley Town.
He was signed from Derby’s academy after Liverpool’s hierarchy held long talks with the Rams and Gordon’s family, selling a vision to the first team. After playing in the Europa League at Union saint- Gilloise this season, Gordon is likely to feature tomorrow.
...AND NEXT OFF THE PRODUCTION LINE
WATCH out for Irish winger TRENT KONEDOHERTY, who is impressing academy staff, as well as midfielders KIERAN MORRISON and CODY PENNINGTON. summer signing AMARA NALLO looks like an accomplished defender. Don’t forget winger BEN DOAK, described as ‘like a Tasmanian devil’ by Van Dijk after a dazzling pre-season display at Preston in August, and spanish midfielder STEFAN BAJCETIC. Both have missed much of this season with lengthy injuries.