Liverpool youngster Luca Eden is already breaking records in the Merseyside club's academy, but one former player has warned against comparisons with Steven Gerrard
Liverpool prospect Luca Eden is highly thought of at the club
Liverpool prospect Luca Eden is highly thought of at the club(Image: Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Former Liverpool star Neil Mellor has warned Reds wonderkid Luca Eden should not be compared to club legend Steven Gerrard.
Eden, 15, was born on the Wirral and is the youngest player to have ever featured for the club in the Premier League's under-18 league. He's also seen his progress in the academy rewarded with an appearance in the UEFA Youth League.
The young Reds faced Atletico Madrid earlier this month, and Eden became the youngest player to ever feature in the under-19 competition for Liverpool. That particular record has previously been held by the likes of Josh Abe, Rio Ngumoha and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
As a midfielder, comparisons with legend Gerrard have understandably emerged. However, while Eden is certainly deserving of all the plaudits, Mellor has warned that such comparisons place an enormous amount of pressure on such a young player.
"I love watching Luca play," Mellor said in a recent interview with The Athletic. "He’s got a real desire and hunger to impact games, but he’s in control of his emotions, and I like his temperament.
"To be starting for the under-18s at such a young age is incredible, and that’s why everyone is getting so excited about him.
"He’s got huge potential, but what I really dislike is people comparing Luca to Steven Gerrard, one of the greatest players in Liverpool’s history.
"It’s so unfair on the kid. It doesn’t do him any favors. It’s important he doesn’t listen to all that talk. He’s not the new Gerrard, he’s Luca Eden."
Luca Eden of Liverpool in action during a U18 Premier League match at AXA Training Centre
Neil Mellor has warned against comparing Liverpool prospect Luca Eden to club legend Steven Gerrard(Image: Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
As a result of his rapid rise in the academy, the report from The Athletic claims Liverpool is looking to tie down Eden to a scholarship deal ahead of the 2027/28 season.
The club is also hoping to agree a pre-contract for his first professional deal.
The midfielder will only turn 16 in March next year, so he cannot sign his first professional deal until he is 17 in 2028. In the meantime, he will hope to continue breaking records in the Reds' academy.
Like fellow prospect Abe, Eden has already trained with the under-21s during preseason.
New first-team head coach Andoni Iraola is said to have watched the group during that time.
But for now, Eden's focus will be on making his mark on the under-18s team this season. It is next in action after the international break against Stoke City.