Trey Nyoni has been a regular in Liverpool's squad this season, but the teenager is yet to start a game for the Reds – though that could change in the Carabao Cup against Tottenham
Trey Nyoni is waiting for his chance at Liverpool
Trey Nyoni is waiting for his chance at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Trey Nyoni could be excused for wishing to erase the memory of his most recent appearance for Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
The teenager, given his second consecutive start in the tournament after completing the full 90 minutes during the Southampton victory in the preceding round, was among those caught up in the disastrous 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last October as Arne Slot's Liverpool team stumbled from one crushing setback to another.
Nyoni featured in a makeshift XI that, despite fielding five at the back with just one fit center-back available, was comfortably brushed aside. Understandably, perhaps, the youngster performed well below his usual standards. And he hasn't been named in a starting line-up for the first team since.
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That situation, however, may change this week when Liverpool launches its latest attempt to secure a trophy it has lifted a record 10 times by hosting Tottenham on Tuesday.
Nyoni caught the eye of Andoni Iraola throughout the preseason to such an extent that the new head coach is convinced the 19-year-old can plug the void left in the squad following Curtis Jones's transfer to Inter Milan.
"I am very happy with Trey, very, very happy," said Iraola last month. "He has been very good in pre-season, not only in the games but when training with us he is facing top-level players and he is at the level.
Andoni Iraola is a fan of Nyoni
Andoni Iraola is a fan of Nyoni(Image: Getty Images)
"I have no doubts with Trey, he will be very valuable this season and hopefully plays a lot and gives the level I am seeing every day in training."
Yet to make his full Premier League bow, Nyoni has nonetheless already come close to surpassing his entire top-flight minute tally from last season, having been introduced from the bench in matches against Nottingham Forest and Ipswich.
Indeed, there were vocal calls from the Anfield faithful for him to be brought on during Saturday's tepid goalless stalemate with Fulham, as Liverpool's midfielders struggled to impose themselves throughout a thoroughly disappointing day.
The lethargic displays of both Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch raised serious concerns, particularly given the Reds are barely a month into the new campaign and Iraola is demanding a far more high-octane approach. Whatever questions remain about Nyoni's readiness, his youthful exuberance, tireless running and surprising physicality are qualities that cannot be doubted.
Iraola has made no secret of his desire to use the early weeks of the season to identify which midfield partnerships function most effectively at the base of the engine room.
The initial signs point toward Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister as the preferred pairing, though neither Nyoni nor Wataru Endo has yet been afforded a genuine opportunity to stake their claim.
For Nyoni in particular, that chance looks set to arrive on Tuesday, when Liverpool face a Tottenham midfield that could feature the contrasting qualities of Lucas Bergvall and Conor Gallagher. With 22 appearances to his name — four in the starting XI — and an additional 46 inclusions in the matchday squad, Nyoni has become a well-established member of the first-team group.
However, he is now prepared for the next phase — and the opportunity to erase the memory of his previous Liverpool start.