Jayden Danns’s impact has been ‘amazing’ at Liverpool with Anfield team-mate Harvey Elliott blown away by a teenager who scored his first ever senior goals in the 3-0 FA Cup trouncing of Southampton.
Just three days after ‘Klopp’s Kids’ defeated the ‘blue billion pound bottle jobs’ at Wembley – Virgil van Dijk’s colossal header in extra-time seeing Liverpool snatch the EFL Cup from under the noses of Chelsea – a three-goal triumph over Southampton in another domestic cup clash provided a further reminder that the future still looks as bright as a certain German’s pearly veneers, even as the post-Klopp era approaches.
You know you’re getting old when a young player emerges onto the scene and you still remember the days when his father was strutting his stuff.
Lewis Koumas, the son of former Wigan ace Jason, opened the scoring against Southampton before fellow 18-year-old Jayden Danns – who’s dad Neil represented Bolton, Crystal Palace and Leicester City – rose from the bench to net his first and second goals in men’s football.
Jayden Danns fires Liverpool past Southampton
“(This week) has been unbelievable,” Harvey Elliott, a relative elder statesman at the age of 20, tells ITV Sport. “It would have been easy to come here tonight and forget the job that we needed to do.
“Ever since this man (Danns) came on this season, he’s been amazing.”
Danns, who only made his senior debut on February 21st, took his first of the night beautifully, showcasing clever movement to latch onto an Elliott through ball before clipping home like a seasoned marksman.
His second of the night – slammed in from close range after Connor Bradley’s effort had been parried back into the penalty area – highlighted the predatory instincts which had made Liverpool’s number 76 such a hit at youth level.
A ‘dream’ night for one of Klopp’s kids
“It’s a dream come true,” a delighted Danns beamed at full-time, Liverpool setting up a quarter-final meeting with rivals Manchester United. “I’ve supported the club since birth so to come on and score at the Kop end was unreal.
“It doesn’t feel real to me, it feels like I’m in a movie. I don’t think I’ll sleep tonight!
“The second one was pure joy, I didn’t think it would come to me. I was happy with one, but when two come I just went sliding. I lost all composure.
“(My dad, Neil) said last time when I made my debut he was crying so I don’t know what he’s going to be doing now. He’s in the stands watching and so is my mum, brother, sister and nan.
“It’s unbelievable.”
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