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The youngster recently spent time with Liverpool and Premier League rivals Arsenal.
A Northern Ireland club have revealed that one of their young goalkeepers has been on trial at Liverpool.
Larne FC sit top of the Irish Premiership and are 12 points clear of second-placed Coleraine. The Inver Park outfit’s official academy page on X has revealed that Phoenix Blayney, a 15-year-old goalkeeper, has recently been with Liverpool on trial and attended a recent game at Anfield while on Merseyside. Premier League rivals Arsenal also cast their eye over Blayney, who has represented Northern Ireland at under-17 level.
A post on social media said: “Phoenix Blayney has had a couple of weeks to remember, spending time on trial at Premier League sides Arsenal and Liverpool Congratulations Phoenix and keep up the great work.”
Liverpool could be looking at Blayney as potentially joining the under-18s on scholarship terms at the end of the season.
The Reds have used the Irish market to great success in recent years. In 2019, Liverpool signed Conor Bradley to their academy from Tyrone-based side Dungannon Swifts. The right-back has made immense development at Anfield and is a bona fide first-team player.
Bradley made 15 appearances en route to Liverpool winning the Premier League title last season, while he started the victory over Chelsea in the 2024 Carabao Cup final over Chelsea at Wembley. This season, Bradley was expected to be first-choice right-back after the exit of Trent Alexander-Arnold but the Northern Ireland international is sidelined with a long-term knee injury.
Meanwhile, the Reds unearthed Caoimhin Kelleher from Cork club Ringmahon Rangers in 2015. The goalkeeper developed into an outstanding deputy for Alisson Becker and started both 2022 and 2024 Carabao Cup final victories. Kelleher also played 10 times in the Premier League last season as the title was claimed in Arne Slot’s maiden campaign as head coach.
With an appetite to play regular first-team football, Kelleher was sold to Brentford last summer for a fee of up to £18 million. The Bees are the Premier League’s surprise package this season and their 3-2 win at Newcastle United moved them up to seventh in the table, level on 39 points with Liverpool.
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