Michael Owen has praised Harvey Elliott as 'a very good player' but revealed why he wouldn't have him in the England squad just yet.
Elliott would have expected to have been on the cusp of a senior breakthrough after his starring role for the Young Lions last summer.
Elliott was the star man for England U21s
5
Elliott was the star man for England U21sCredit: Getty
The 22-year-old was named the player of the tournament as Lee Carsley's side earned a second consecutive European title in Slovakia.
Elliott scored five goals - second only to Newcastle's record signing, Nick Woltemade - as he defended the trophy he helped win in 2023.
His standout success fuelled his ambition to leave boyhood club Liverpool after falling down the pecking order under Arne Slot.
Elliott was given just six starts in all competitions for the Reds last season, and ultimately joined Aston Villa on deadline day.
read more on harvey elliott
He's full of sh*t! Troy Deeney goes on X-rated Thomas Tuchel rant as he reveals Harry Kane concern!
The midfielder moved on an initial loan with a £35million obligation to buy based on appearances included in the deal.
Despite scoring Villa's first goal of the season in their Carabao Cup exit to Brentford last month, he has only played around a quarter of the available Premier League minutes.
He was hauled off at half-time during his one top-flight start at Villa Park, and now faces a race against time to impress Thomas Tuchel.
On Elliott, former England and Liverpool striker Owen told talkSPORT, viacasino.co.uk: “On paper, it looked like a good move.
“Obviously, you're stepping down slightly from Liverpool. However, you're still playing for a very good team, and you would have thought that the whole point of moving from Liverpool was to get more game time.
“He's not necessarily been starting every single game just yet for Villa. Ultimately, if you're not playing super regularly, then it’s hard to imagine that you're going to get a call-up for England.”
Elliott has been waiting for his opportunity at Aston Villa
5
Elliott has been waiting for his opportunity at Aston VillaCredit: Getty
The 22-year-old hasn't got the Premier League gametime he would have wanted yet
5
The 22-year-old hasn't got the Premier League gametime he would have wanted yet
Harvey Elliott stats
Before the international break, Elliott was only afforded a late cameo in the Europa League win over Feyenoord but remained an unused substitute in the 2-1 victory against Burnley.
Unai Emery claimed he needs time to learn to adapt to Villa's style of play, but the timing of his infrequent appearances couldn't be worse.
Tuchel left out three of Elliott's competition at No.10 this month in Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, with Cole Palmer also injured.
However, his struggles to hit the ground running under Emery meant a golden opportunity to make his senior debut went begging.
Owen added: “I like Harvey Elliott, he's a very good player and I hope he's picked the right club.
Elliott made the difficult decision to leave Liverpool
5
Elliott made the difficult decision to leave LiverpoolCredit: Getty
“He's made contributions since he's been there so far, so let's just give him a little bit of time. It's only been six or seven games, as we know.
“If I was the England manager, I wouldn't have him in the England team just yet.
“I think he's got to be one of the star players at Villa to be doing that, and he's not quite that yet. But as I say, let's see how the season progresses.”
Harvey Elliott transfer
Elliott has been itching to showcase regularly why Jurgen Klopp was so desperate to sign him for Liverpool as a 16-year-old in 2019.
Three months after joining, he became the then-second youngest debutant in Liverpool's history in an EFL Cup tie at MK Dons.
At the start of the 2021-2022 season, Elliott broke into Klopp's first team, starting each of the first three Premier League matches.
However, a dislocated ankle sustained in a 3-0 win at Leeds hampered his progress, and he has played only bit-part roles since.
Read More on talkSPORT
5
An injury suffered at the start of the Slot era last season kept him out until December, by which time Liverpool were top of the league.
Upon his exit, Mo Salah posted on social media: “I’ve got no doubt you’ll do big things at your new club. They are lucky to have you.”