‘Listen I’m going to say something’: Lee Dixon issues Elliott claim at Liverpool

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What a day for Harvey Elliott at Liverpool.

The 18-year-old made his Premier League debut for the Reds in the win over Burnley at Anfield last week.

Starting against the Clarets is one thing, but Jurgen Klopp clearly has a lot of trust in the player because he also included him in his first XI for last night’s visit of Chelsea.

Despite only turning 18 in April, the fact that Elliott has just started against a team who won the Champions League a few months ago is evidence of his undeniable talent – and he impressed against the Blues, too.

Elliott, who spent last season on loan at Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, was one of Liverpool’s best players against Thomas Tuchel’s side and he could – and maybe should – have had a goal, blazing a volley over the bar in the first half.

But getting the chance in the first place was a sign of his constant involvement in the Reds’ attack.

And Lee Dixon has revealed that Elliott reminds him of a certain Lionel Messi for his size and effortless capacity to create space for himself.

He told NBC Sport: “He’s probably been Liverpool’s best player. Knowing where the space is, little walks into that space. Listen, I’m going to say something now. He reminds me a little bit like Messi. He walks like him. He’s diminutive and just waits for the ball to come to him. He’s a real talent at 18 – that’s for sure!”

Liverpool had to settle for a point in the end.

The hosts were up against 10 men for half the game following Reece James’s red card on the stroke of half time, with Mohamed Salah scoring the resulting penalty to make it 1-1.

But despite the advantage for 45 minutes, Klopp’s side were unable to break down a resolute Chelsea who produced a Herculean defensive effort with the odds stacked against them.

Even Elliott still saw a lot of the ball in the second half, but found it difficult to find as much space, with Jorginho and N’Golo Kante thwarting him on a regular basis, but it was still a wonderful performance by the youngster and if this is a taste of things to come, Liverpool have a proper gem.