Liverpool starlet and Steven Gerrard doppelganger Luca Eden scored a beautiful goal for England's U16 side after an impressive full season in the Reds academy
Luca Eden
15-year-old Luca Eden hopes to become the next great homegrown Liverpool midfielder(Image: Getty Images)
The youngest player in Liverpool U18s history is a player who has yet to make his debut for the Reds' first team. That honor belongs to 15-year-old central midfielder Luca Eden.
At 14-years, eight months, and 20 days, Eden, who bears a strong resemblance to Steven Gerrard, appeared in a November 2025 7-0 defeat against Manchester United. He has already made 11 appearances for the club's U18 Premier League side and is also its youngest U18 scorer.
Eden, who previously captained England at U15, scored an impressive right-footed curler for England's U16 side this week. Videos of the goal quickly went viral across social media.
In the same match, Eden assisted a goal to teammate Jaden Maghoma. He continues to rise through the ranks with both the Three Lions and the Reds.
Eden, born in Liverpool, trained with the Liverpool U21S this summer and was a candidate to be named in new coach Andoni Iraola's preseason team. The Spanish boss opted for Eden's teammate Joshua Abe instead.
He was part of a U21 training contingent in the early summer, before preseason even was underway, that included new arrival Jeremy Jacquet and returning senior players like Harvey Elliott.
Liverpool U18s coach Simon Wiles named Eden as one player who benefited from a May matchup against Manchester United's FA Youth Cup-winning team.
Luca Eden
Eden scores a penalty for the Liverpool U18s against Burnley (Image: Getty Images)
Despite the 4-1 defeat, the game served as a good experience. "That is what we are about - development football," Wiles told Liverpool's official club site.
"We had Luca Eden at 15 going up against one of their highly rated second-years in central midfield, which was great for him," he said.
"Ultimately, we just want to keep exposing the players as much as we can to different situations, different challenges, and this was another one for those lads."
Eden, a natural central midfielder who hopes to grow in the mold of Gerrard, likely won't see first-team action this year. Liverpool plays in the Champions League and likely will not register a 15-year-old.
The domestic cups may offer Iraola an opportunity to give veterans out of favor in the first-team picture, such as James McConnell or Wataru Endo, a chance to play and start in central midfield.
But like any young scouser, he will want to prove he can make it at his boyhood club. Eden wasn't the only 15-year-old regularly playing for the U18s in recent years: former top central midfielder Curtis Jones followed the same path.