Who are Liverpool’s young Carabao Cup heroes?
Liverpool’s Carabao Cup victory was special for all sorts of reasons.
Jurgen Klopp’s farewell got off to the perfect start at Liverpool won their tenth League Cup at the hands of rivals Chelsea, but they did so by depending on a number of inexperienced youngsters against one of the most expensive squads on the planet.
Here’s a closer look at Liverpool’s newest heroes.
Age: 20
Position: Right-back
You should be well aware of Conor Bradley by now.
Bradley, a Northern Ireland international who joined his country’s Liverpool branch at nine years old, has been a regular feature of the Liverpool starting lineup in recent weeks following the injury to usual starter Trent Alexander-Arnold, and he has made a major impact.
He grabbed an assist on his Premier League debut against Bournemouth before Bradley, who spent a lot of the Carabao Cup final playing as a makeshift winger, stole the show with a goal and an assist in the league victory over Chelsea in January.
Age: 21
Position: Centre-back
Another who should be on your radar already, Jarell Quansah has the most first-team experience of anybody on this list.
The centre-back made his 20th appearance for Liverpool when he came off the bench in the Carabao Cup final, having already played major minutes in both the Premier League and Europa League to cement himself as part of Klopp’s squad.
Quansah has been with Liverpool since he was just five years old, having been born in the local area of Warrington.
Age: 19
Position: Midfielder
Midfielder Bobby Clark made his ninth appearance for Liverpool off the bench at Wembley, having joined from Newcastle United, where his dad Lee made 240 appearances, in the summer of 2021.
Reports state Clark received a personal meeting with Klopp when he was considering the switch to Anfield, with the boss making it clear there was a path through the first team available if he made the commitment. Turns out he was right.
Clark is an attack-minded midfielder who was used largely as a winger when he first joined the club, but he appears to have cemented himself as a central option.
Age: 19
Position: Midfielder
Another midfielder to have broken through this season, Wembley’s outing was the seventh appearance of the campaign for James McConnell.
Signed from Sunderland at Under-15 level, McConnell has made a major impact on the academy at Liverpool. Like Clark, he has also played in a handful of attacking positions, but coaches believe he it at his best as a central midfielder.
McConnell’s first inclusion in a senior matchday squad came on the opening day of the season, coincidentally against Chelsea.
Age: 18
Position: Striker
Of all the appearances at Wembley, it was that of 18-year-old Jayden Danns that was most surprising as, unlike the others in the squad, he had almost no senior experience to his name.
Indeed, Danns‘ first Liverpool appearance came as a last-minute substitute in the 4-1 win over Luton that proceeded the Carabao Cup final, with the 18-year-old enjoying somewhat of a meteoric rise in the last week.
Danns, son of former midfielder Neil, was first scouted by Liverpool at Under-7 level. Around ten years later, a major growth spurt of ten inches in eight months actually forced him into a spell on the sidelines, but after adjusting to his new frame, Danns has established himself as a real goalscorer. Comparisons have been made to Roberto Firmino for his love of dropping deep and linking up play.