Joe Gomez has paid tribute to the “unbelievable” Conor Bradley, Kaide Gordon and Tyler Morton after the youngsters helped Liverpool thump Norwich City 3-0 in the EFL Cup, speaking to the club’s official website.
As Jurgen Klopp gave a well-deserved rest to the likes of Mo Salah, Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, last night’s Carrow Road cruise offered a timely reminder of the strength in depth at the club’s disposal.
Gordon, the 16-year-old wonder kid, produced a convincing Salah tribute act on the right-hand side of Liverpool’s attack, drifting in on to his favoured left foot while giving the experienced Ben Gibson the runaround.
Fellow teenager Bradley, meanwhile, looked a picture of confidence at right-back – a clever back-heel here, a burst of acceleration there.
The boy from County Tyrone was indebted to goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher for saving a first-half penalty he gave away, but that shouldn’t distract from what was a performance full of quality and character from a youngster who became Liverpool’s first Northern Irish footballer since 1954.
Gordon and other Liverpool starlets could give Jurgen Klopp a selection headache after Norwich performance
“They all did unbelievable,” said Gomez, Liverpool’s skipper for the night. “A special mention to each and every one of them.”
18-year-old Tyler Morton caught the eye too, coming off the bench at half-time to wrestle back control for a Liverpool side that had struggled to deal with a dynamic Norwich engine room during long spells of the first half.
Slotting into the ‘Fabinho role’, Morton completed 88 per cent of his passes in those 45 minutes.
“We saw glimpses in pre-season of how good they are, a lot of training sessions they come up and train with us. They all did unbelievable,” Gomez adds.
“It’s not easy to come away without much rhythm and make your debut at a tough place like this. Each of them did especially well.”
Divock Origi scored his first goal in a year on the night, either side of two tidy finishes from Takumi Minamino, the Japanese schemer who looked as sharp as a tungsten-tipped tack at Carrow Road.
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