It was a good night for the Liverpool trio currently away with England at the U21 European Championship — though how long any of the three players involved for the young Lions will remain at Anfield is unclear.
Harvey Elliott scored a goal and Jarell Quansah played well — aside from giving away a penalty — with England winning 3-1 in 90 minutes to set up a semi-final clash against the Netherlands. Both could be heading for the exit door, but it was Tyler Morton, another likely to depart, who put in the most impressive showing of the lot as he starred against a strong Spanish midfield.
Morton was given a yellow card for a late tackle, which means he will miss the semi-final, and on this evidence, he will be a big loss for Lee Carsley. Ahead of a big transfer decision this summer, though, this was a timely reminder of his quality.
For starters, Morton deservedly made the starting XI ahead of Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson, who was signed from Newcastle United last summer for a fee of around $47 million (£35 million).
While Liverpool is not going to be able to demand that sort of fee for Morton after a season in which he barely played, that is the ceiling that he has. Clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta were keen a year ago for a reason.
In total, Morton only played 261 senior minutes for Liverpool last season, however, and he was denied a loan move in case he was required. He didn't make it onto the Premier League once, though he would be a regular starter for several top-flight teams.
Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, Tyler Morton and Harvey Elliott of Liverpool pose for a photograph with the Premier League trophy, as Liverpool are crowned the Champions of the Premier League for the 2024/25 Season
Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, Tyler Morton and Harvey Elliott of Liverpool pose for a photograph with the Premier League trophy, as Liverpool are crowned the Champions of the Premier League for the 2024/25 Season (Image: 2025 Liverpool FC)
"I think it's been the toughest season mentally for me," Morton told the Daily Mail earlier this month. "Obviously, I've coped with it very well because I've got good people around me, but it's been very tough.
"I think I've coped with it as well as I possibly could. I think when you're not playing as a footballer who's as hungry as I am, it does hurt. It's tough, especially when, in my opinion, I wanted to go out and I wanted to play and I wanted to go on loan and get my game time.
"But having chatted with the manager, having to stay, it could have worked out a lot worse than it did. It probably could have worked out a lot better than it did."
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Morton is not short of quality, though. Against Spain, the 22-year-old completed 88 per cent of his passes and drove his team forward from the base of the midfield.
He won four of his eight duels and Morton was a strong performer on a big night for England.
And this tournament has been a stepping stone for lots of players in the past, most notably, in recent times, Cole Palmer, who has become one of the best in the Premier League since exploding in this competition.
While Morton is unlikely to have a stratospheric rise quite to that level, he is putting himself in the shop window. There should be no shortage of suitors, as this latest reminder of his level showed.