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
Harvey Elliott has been linked with a move away from Liverpool this summer
Former Liverpool midfielder Jermaine Pennant believes Harvey Elliott's versatility has hindered him from nailing down a regular first-team spot at Anfield. The 22-year-old has been linked with a move away from Anfield this summer, with Brighton & Hove Albion reportedly interested, after making just two Premier League starts last term.
Both of the midfielder's starts came after Liverpool had wrapped up the Premier League title with a 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on April 27.
But despite a lack of action at Anfield, Elliott was named the Player of the Tournament at the under-21 European Championships on Saturday night after scoring five goals in six appearances in Bratislava.
When discussing Elliott's talent on Monday, Pennant, who spent three years at Liverpool after joining from Birmingham City in 2006, insisted the midfielder's wide-ranging skill set is part of the reason why he has been unable to nail down a regular position since moving to Anfield six years ago.
“With Harvey [Elliott], he hasn’t got a prominent position. Like Mo Salah, you know he plays on the right,” said Pennant.
“Whereas Harvey Elliott can play on the left, play on the right, he can play in the number eight spot a little bit deeper, he can play high, so he’s too versatile.
“He’s at an age now where he needs to be playing regular football, he’s earned that right in any other team.
"He’s 22 now, he’s been playing first-team football since he was 16, he’s had a massive taste of it but now he’s getting into his crunchiest years, important years, and it will be a waste to sit on the bench at Liverpool.”
Elliott has two years remaining on his current deal at Anfield.