Harvey Elliott has confessed to feeling frustrated due to his lack of playing time for Liverpool this season. Despite being the hero in Wednesday's match against PSG with an 87th-minute winner, Elliott admits he's had to suppress his anger for the team's sake. The 21-year-old was ecstatic after securing a narrow advantage for the Reds ahead of their return to Anfield next week for the second leg. After the game at Parc des Princes, the lifelong Liverpool fan acknowledged the travelling supporters during post-match interviews.
However, despite his goalscoring exploits, Elliott can't shake off his frustrations this season. He had hoped that under new manager Arne Slot, he would get more pitch time. But after only seven minutes in the first three Premier League games and a broken foot in training, he has only managed 69 minutes of league action and no starts. "I'm still young, it's a hard thing to understand in my head really," said Elliott, who joined from Fulham in 2019.
"So there are moments within the season where I am getting angry, I am getting frustrated because I want to play, but at the same time I need to respect the situation, I need to respect the manager's decisions.Some games I'm needed, some games I'm not.
"That's just how football is. That's why I feel like we're in the position that we are in this season so far because of his decisions. Tonight was another one of them where it worked in our favour." Elliott expressed his joy at being the "chosen one" to score the winning goal in Paris.
He revealed that he has been in discussions with Slot about increasing his playing time and what he needs to do to secure more appearances on the pitch. So far, he has only started in two FA Cup games, one League Cup game, and one Champions League match.
"We've had conversations," he admitted. "Very honest and open conversations. He acknowledged that it's up to him to put in the hard work and demonstrate his commitment to the team. "I'm trying to improve and get into this team," he said. "It's a team game.
"It's not just about me. I need to be ready for moments like tonight where I can contribute. I think it's about staying motivated and mentally right in the head. But moments like tonight, it keeps me motivated and the hunger is still within me to go out and show what I can do.
Elliott scored within 47 seconds of coming on against PSG with what was his third goal in Europe this season. He insists the Reds' substitutes have to stay ready to make an impact. "We're all going to play our part, it's just about staying ready," he added.