TOMCRAVES ANFIELDROLE FORMENTOR
TOM CLAYTON was set on the road to stardom by Steven Gerrard in the Liverpool academy.
And the Scotland Under21 midfielder admits it would be a dream if their paths crossed again in the Anfield top team.
Reds-daft Clayton – skipper of Liverpool Under23s – is in no doubt the Rangers manager is destined to return home to boss the club closest to his heart one day.
Whether that’s via Aston Villa remains to be seen but Clayton reckons his old mentor has earned a shot at the Premier League.
No matter what the future holds for the 20-yearold, who is preparing for international duty against Kazakhstan tomorrow night, he has already had the benefit of working one to one with his hero.
Clayton said: “Steven’s pedigree is second to none and he can help you, no matter what position you play.
“Centre-backs, fullbacks, wide players, his overall knowledge of the game is unbelievable.
“It’s hard not to watch him. Some of the moments of brilliance he’s produced over the years will make sure people keep watching them back.
“But he is definitely someone I can study and learn from. That [linking up again at Liverpool] would be the ideal situation but let’s see what happens.
“The Aston Villa link is credit to the job he has done at Rangers, winning the title last year and being on a good run in Europe. I don’t think it’s a surprise.”
The youngster signed a new deal at Anfield in April and has big ambitions.
Gerrard was the mentor when it all began four years ago, while Scotland skipper Andy Robertson is now head of a group of training ground “drivers” Clayton says set the standard.
He added: “I was a firstyear scholar when I found out Steven Gerrard was going to be our manager.
“He brought a real buzz to the place and had a lot of belief in me. He gave me a lot of confidence and I can’t speak highly enough of him.
“I don’t think you realise how big he is until you go places with him. On tour you see the attention he gets and you think ‘Wow, this guy is special’.
“When he speaks, you listen. I can see that happening [Gerrard for Liverpool]. He has done a great job at Rangers.”
Clayton is one of the new faces in Scot Gemmill’s squad but is determined to help drive the Under-21s up their qualifying group table for Euro 2023.
With one point from two games against Denmark and Turkey, a win over Kazakhstan at Tannadice tomorrow is a must.
Clayton has seen Billy Gilmour as well as Nathan Patterson make the step up and said: “That can inspire this group. Billy and Nathan have been with us before progressing. We can see there is a pathway for us.”