Harvey Elliott has once again been urged to find more playing time next season following his heroics for England U21s - even if it means leaving Liverpool.
Elliott’s stock has risen this summer after he helped guide the Young Lions to the UEFA European U21 Championship crown - defending the title they won in 2023 in the process.
The 22-year-old scored again in the final as England beat Germany 3-2, having also scored twice in the semi-final against the Netherlands. Elliott would go on to be crowned the Player of the Tournament, having scored five times across six games - and throwing in a questionable gesture during his celebrations to boot.
Now though, Elliott faces what could be a decisive moment in his career. The midfielder has made no secret of his frustration at the lack of opportunities he received in Arne Slot’s first season at the helm of Liverpool, and he has conceded he may need to leave Anfield this summer.
He certainly won’t be short of offers after his performances this summer, and it might be the perfect time for Liverpool to cash in on a player who looks set to fall further down the pecking order after Florian Wirtz’s arrival from Bayer Leverkusen.
One man who knows all about the big decision facing Elliott this summer is Conor Coady, himself a Liverpool academy product who would leave the club to pursue guaranteed opportunities elsewhere.
Harvey Elliott has been linked with a move away from Liverpool this summer
Harvey Elliott has been linked with a move away from Liverpool this summer (Image: Getty Images)
The defender has insisted Elliott needs to take the next step in his club career now - even if it means leaving Anfield.
“I don’t think he needs to help with his confidence; I think he’s a confident boy anyway and you see that at Liverpool week in, week out, when he plays,” Coady said while appearing as a pundit on Channel 4.
“We’ve seen that in this competition. We’ve said before about him being a leader - I think he’s shown that he’s a leader - but I think it’s massively important the next step he takes in his career.
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“Whatever he does now, whether that be at Liverpool or elsewhere, that he goes plays and plays a lot. I think he’s at that level now where he has shown to all of us and all the supporters that he is ready for that next level.”
Fellow pundit and former Tottenham and England striker Jermain Defoe added: “He’s one of the senior boys now. He’s seen it and he’s done it.
“To want to play it, first of all, credit to him, and to produce with a lot pressure… it’s a massive summer.
“We don’t know what he’s going to do, I’m sure he will have loads of options because he is a quality player. But to do what he’s done and Player of the Tournament, five goals… what a tournament.”