Liverpool U21s boss Rob Page has reacted to the remarkable EFL Trophy win at Rochdale on Tuesday evening
Jayden Danns of Liverpool U21 is challenged by Zain Silcott-Duberry of Rochdale during the Jersey Mike's Trophy match at Crown Oil Arena on September 22 2026
Jayden Danns of Liverpool U21 is challenged by Zain Silcott-Duberry of Rochdale during the Jersey Mike's Trophy match at Crown Oil Arena on September 22 2026
View Image
The EFL Trophy, under its various guises, has rarely delivered as much as promised for Liverpool since they first entered the competition back in 2019.
On Tuesday night at Rochdale's Crown Oil Arena, however, came a remarkable, dramatic exception as a game interrupted by pyrotechnics being launched on to the pitch from outside the stadium ended with the fireworks of the 10-man Reds netting twice in additional time to force a 3-3 draw before winning 7-6 on penalties.
It was only the fourth victory of any kind in 23 games for Liverpool in the tournament - three have now been on spot kicks for a bonus point after a draw, with the 3-0 success at Morecambe in 2023 still their only outright triumph - and, for under-21s boss Rob Page, the evening was both hugely instructive and significant.
"I think that's the proudest I've been since being here," said Page, who arrived at the club at the start of last season. "We talk about being proud to wear the jersey. And when you wear the badge, there comes a level of expectation when you go out and play for Liverpool.
"They know that myself and (U21s assistant coach) Jay (Spearing), who's played for the club, won't accept anything less than 100%. So they've got that built-in resilience. It's the character that we want in the team.
"We've tried to change the mentality in the 12 months that I've been here and I'm seeing it every day in training. The intensity of training has increased and they've got that winning mentality.
"It's about developing players, of course, but they must have that winning mentality, and I think we've got it."
Having so often been hampered by lack of availability due to the timing of fixtures in the competition - which is now sponsored by Jersey Mike's - this time Liverpool were able to call on players with first-team experience or regulars around the senior squad such as James McConnell, Luke Chambers, Jayden Danns and Harvey Davies.
"They joined in training for us for one session and you could see the intensity was a change from how we train," said Page.
"We think the tempo is all right, but when they joined in the other day it was another level again. It's always great for those lads to drop back down and for the youngsters to see the level they need to be at.
"It was a frustrating competition last year because you want to play against better teams and players but you need your stronger players available otherwise it defeats the object. It exposes young inexperienced players to senior football and that's why you see so many one-sided games.
FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page
"Here we were able to put a relatively strong team out and it's no coincidence that even when we were down to 10, we were the better team."
Liverpool centre-back Mor Talla Ndiaye was dismissed on 21 minutes, after which Devante Rodney gave Rochdale the lead only for Will Wright to notch his sixth goal of the season with a superb individual strike to equalise.
Rochdale's 41-year-old forward Ian Henderson scored twice in the closing quarter, but the Reds forced penalties with substitutes Ben Trueman and Josh Sonni-Lambie bagging in the final two minutes of additional time.
Wright's goal capped another hugely impressive display from the 18-year-old striker, and Page said: "We are talking about him every week for his goals, and he was a constant threat, wasn't he?
"That was the message at half-time, that I think they'll have a little bit more respect for Will Wright after the first 45 minutes and they'll be worried because he was a constant threat.
"But every man out there has worked their socks off and helped with that result in the end."