Liverpool are back in Champions League action on Tuesday as they head to Spain to take on Girona.
A return to continental action for the senior team also meant that the Reds U19s were due to play their counterparts from Girona on the same day.
Several of the youngsters from the Liverpool academy had been spotted training with the first-team in the build-up to the game.
The likes of Amara Nallo, Jayden Danns and Rio Ngumoha were all involved at the Liverpool training ground ahead of the flight out to Spain.
And although all three players were reported to have flown with the first-team on Monday, each turned out in the starting line-up for the UEFA Youth League tie with Girona on Tuesday afternoon.
While Danns and Ngumoha in particular took top billing, though, it was 18-year-old Trent Kone-Doherty who was making the headlines after the match.
(THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Trent Kone-Doherty of Liverpool celebrating after scoring the second goal during the UEFA Youth League 2024/25...
Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Trent Kone-Doherty shows his quality
Like Ngumoha, Kone-Doherty was identified by Liverpool as a 15-year-old before being brought to the club at 16.
Having only turned 18 in June, the Irishman is still an incredibly young footballer.
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And although he has been upstaged a little by Ngumoha during the Youth League games so far, Kone-Doherty also has a bit of magic in his boots.
The winger showed that on Tuesday, as he raced in behind the Girona back line, held off the defender and then flipped the ball over the goalkeeper to level the score for 10-man Liverpool with just minutes to go.
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Commentating on the game for LFCTV, former Reds striker Neil Mellor was left in awe of what he’d seen from Kone-Doherty.
“Kone-Doherty, absolutely magnificent from the youngster,” raved Mellor. “It’s absolutely fantastic, it really is. The strength, the run initially to offer that move in behind, it’s a decent ball, he’s onside, he’s asking the question in behind.
“He’s too strong for the defender, great first touch, just sets himself then gives the goalkeeper the eyes. That’s absolutely fantastic from Kone-Doherty.”
How did the game finish?
Kone-Doherty’s equaliser came virtually out of the blue for Liverpool’s youngsters in a game which swung on a first-half red card for Ranel Young.
Danns had opened the scoring from the penalty spot after great work from Ngumoha drew the foul.
But Young’s red card than preceded a turnaround from the home team, who scored from their own penalty before a long-range effort put them ahead in the second-half.
Liverpool did not let the game go to waste, though, and Kyle Kelly’s superb threaded ball in behind set Kone-Doherty away to equalise. And that’s how things ended.
It was a superb moment from the former Derry City youngster who sent a timely reminder that his development the past two years should not be overlooked.
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