Harvey Elliott will remain a Liverpool supporter despite his move to Aston Villa, explaining his reason for leaving and why his love will “be there forever.”
Elliott made his debut for Villa on Saturday as he came off the bench in their 0-0 draw with Everton, meaning he now has only nine more appearances until his loan becomes permanent.
Villa will pay a fee of £35 million next summer if the midfielder plays at least 10 games, with the structure of that deal designed to navigate their PSR restrictions.
But while his departure from Anfield is considered certain, Elliott has pledged his ongoing support to the club he loves.
“The love I have for Liverpool is still going to be there forever, that’s not going to change,” he told reporters including the Independent‘s Richard Jolly.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, August 4, 2025: Liverpool's Harvey Elliott (L) celebrates with team-mate Curtis Jones after scoring his side's fourth goal during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Athletic Bilbao at Anfield. Liverpool won 4-1. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“I’m still going to be watching and looking out for them from afar. I’m wishing them all the very best.
“But sometimes in football you need to be selfish. I made the decision to leave because I wanted to do what’s best for me.”
Elliott had long hinted at his desire to leave Liverpool having failed to break into Arne Slot‘s regular rotation of starters.
Clearly that made the process of moving on no less difficult, but as he continued he explained that the decision came with his long-term development in mind.
“I loved every minute of it; every second, every day [at Liverpool],” Elliott said.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 5, 2019: Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp celebrates with Harvey Elliott after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Leicester City FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 2-1. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“I wouldn’t change it, I learned so much from being there and experienced many things.
“But I think the most important thing for me when I was making the decision was to be playing first-team football.
“I need to be in a team where I’m getting regular minutes.
“Whether that’s starting or coming off the bench, just having that feeling of going into a matchday knowing you’re going to play, that’s the only way I can improve now.”
He added: “To find the best club, there were a few difficult decisions I had to make.
“I’m over the moon. I’m so happy to be here and I really want to kick on, to get this club where they deserve. With this team, anything is possible.”
While Elliott’s time at Liverpool will officially come to an end on July 1, the club still have the option to re-sign him for a set fee in the future.
The champions agreed a buy-back clause as part of their deal with Villa, while they can also benefit from a sell-on clause if he were to move elsewhere.