Harry Wilson’s re-emergence as a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League should be teaching Liverpool some valuable lessons about their academy talents.
Try as he might, the Welshman was deemed not quite good enough to break into the Reds’ first-team under Jurgen Klopp, making only two senior appearances for the club. Nevertheless, Wilson was a star talent within the Liverpool academy.
It says everything about his impact in the youth team that his record of 12 goals in a season with the U21s/U23s stood until Sunday, when Kieran Morrison equalled it.
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FA Cup trophy is pictured on display ahead of the fourth round clash between Macclesfield Town and Brentford (Credit: Getty Images/James Gill - Danehouse). The Premier League trophy pictured at Anfield before Liverpool's final match of the season against Crystal Palace at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Julian Finney).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/James Gill/Danehouse/Julian Finney
Morrison has been causing a splash this season and looks poised to make the step up to senior football. He may not be a prodigy like Rio Ngumoha, or a generational talent such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, but the 19-year-old deserves to be given patience in his pursuit of a first-team place.
Wilson was never really afforded that, and as he is showing this season, perhaps he should have had more time to bed in as a squad player at Liverpool. Not every talent has to develop into a starter, and as they watch Morrison progress, the Reds’ decision-makers would do well to keep Wilson in mind.
Morrison does not have to be a regular starter
There is always a fine line to be trodden whenever dealing with a talented young player like Morrison.
On the one hand, players always want to play, and – as was the case with Wilson – there came a point where he simply had to move on or risk his career completely stagnating.
Harry Wilson playing for Fulham
Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images
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But while much will depend on the player themselves, Liverpool can also help this process by managing expectations. There is a temptation to write off youngsters from the Reds’ academy if they are not at the levels of Ngumoha, Alexander-Arnold or Steven Gerrard before them.
However, Wilson has shown that he could have been useful to Liverpool in another capacity, and this is something that should be considered.
In an ideal world, every player nurtured through the academy would be good enough to one day become a starter for the first-team, but that is just not realistic. A squad is made up of 20 plus players, and if a handful of those are graduates from the youth team, then that should be celebrated. Morrison can of course be better than that, but if he ‘only’ reaches Wilson’s level, that is not a problem either.
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Kieran Morrison of Liverpool battles with Crystal Palace's Borna Sosa during the Carabao Cup fourth round match at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC
Liverpool must choose next move carefully with Morrison
When Wilson was Morrison’s age, he had made one appearance for the Liverpool first-team and played seven times for Crewe Alexandra out on-loan.
It was a loan move to Hull City, just before his 21st birthday, which really lit the touch paper for him, and seven goals in 14 games should have been enough for Liverpool to move him into the squad for the 2018/19 season.
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Instead, the Wales international joined Derby County, where he had another productive season, scoring 18 times as the Rams lost in the play-off final.
Kieran Morrison playing for Liverpool Under 21s
Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images
While Liverpool were champions of Europe at the time, they barely did any business in the summer transfer window, and Wilson simply had to be promoted to Klopp’s seniors. Sadly, the Reds missed their chance to make him a valuable squad player, and have arguably regretted it since.
The same mistake cannot be made with Morrison. A loan next season could be a possibility, but it might also be that – just as they’ve done with Ngumoha – Liverpool open the door to giving him minutes where possible. From there, they can keep him involved and allow him to develop into someone who can be relied upon when needed.
Curtis Jones’ pathway is the perfect example
Where Wilson was not afforded his chance to progress at Liverpool, the Reds did a better job of promoting Curtis Jones in the following years.
Like Wilson, Jones was not seen as a player who can immediately make a huge impact while starting matches, and was instead slowly integrated by Klopp.
One appearance in the 2018/19 season was followed up with 12 in 2019/20, and then 34 the following year. From 30 Premier League matches, 14 were starts.
To this day Jones is not a nailed on starter for Liverpool, but is instead a player who can fill out the squad, start when needed and add quality in depth. This could have been the role Wilson also played, and if that is the future for Morrison, then that is more than fine.
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