Welsh youngster Neco Williams has received rave reviews from Liverpool teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold after making his Premier League debut for the recently-crowned champions last week.
The full-back, who only turned 19 in April, came on in place of Alexander-Arnold and put in an impressive display as the Reds strolled to a comfortable 4-0 win over Crystal Palace at Anfield last Wednesday.
The Wrexham-born defender, who has scored four goals in his eight appearances for the Wales under-19 side, showed an eagerness to get on the ball and came close to scoring, with his goal-bound effort blocked by a Palace player.
Speaking to liverpoolfc.com, Alexander-Arnold, who has provided 12 assists so far this season, said: “You can see him improving and picking up little things every day – likewise with all the young lads – and I think there’s no better place for young players to be than at Liverpool, to be given the chances like they got [against Palace].
The 21-year-old, who scored an impressive free-kick in the win over the Eagles, highlighted a key trait Williams has that he himself showed when breaking into the Reds first-team.
“Just an eagerness to learn and improve every single day,” he said.
While this was the first time Williams has appeared for Liverpool in the league, he has already represented the senior team in the EFL Cup this season.
The Welshman was one of the stand-out players in the dramatic win against Arsenal in the fourth round, providing an assist for Divock Origi to level the game at 5-5 late on, before the Reds went on to win 5-4 on penalties.
He also made four appearances in this season’s FA Cup, and was part of the young Liverpool side that shocked Everton to win 1-0 at Anfield in the third round.
And Alexander-Arnold believes the environment Williams is exposed to on a regular basis has only helped further his development.
“To be given the opportunity to train with world-class players is only going to make you better and prepare you for days like this so I was over the moon with the way he’s performed.”
The England full-back has no doubt that Williams and other talented academy players will be given the opportunity to impress further by manager Jurgen Klopp in the near future.
“They’ve shown the quality and shown that when the gaffer is ready then they will be given the chance – and they deserve the chance as well.”
(Featured image: Lewis Mitchell/YCPD)
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