Harvey Elliott
Image Credits: Getty Images
Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott has admitted feeling frustrated at his limited game-time under Arne Slot.
The 21-year-old has not had the smoothest of seasons this campaign. After impressing Slot in pre-season, he suffered a devastating injury that kept him on the sidelines for about two months.
But on his return to fitness, he has been unable to dislodge Slot’s preferred midfield three of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. As a result, he has been restricted to 507 minutes of football and only 76 minutes in the Premier League.
But he came off the bench to hand Liverpool a precious one-goal advantage against PSG in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
With Liverpool struggling to contain their hosts, Slot brought the 21-year-old in place of Mohamed Salah and in less than one minute he had put the Reds ahead in the tie with a well-taken finish.
Speaking after his heroics in Paris, the Englishman admitted Slot’s outstanding debut campaign has had its challenges.
The 21-year-old has scored three goals this season but has yet to start a Premier League game for the Reds and, as a result, has been frustrated.
“I’ve already played almost 150 games for Liverpool [137], and I feel like I’m very experienced in that aspect,” Elliott said.
“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, and 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 we’re in the position that we are in this season so far because of his decisions. PSG was another one where it worked in our favour. Luckily, I was the chosen one, you could say, to come in and get the match-winner.
“We all need to be ready; it’s just not me, and it’s just not the lads that are starting frequently. We’re all going to play our part. It’s just about staying ready.”
Despite his frustration, Elliott also revealed that he has spoken regularly with Slot about his involvement and accepts that competing with Szoboszlai and Salah for a place in the starting XI means he has to be more patient.
He said: “We’ve had very honest conversations and open conversations. It’s down to me to put the work in and show him everything that he’s told me. I’m trying to work on it, I’m trying to improve and I’m trying to get in this team. At the same time, I feel like I can’t get too angry and frustrated because, quite frankly, the team is doing amazing.
“It’s a team game. It’s just not about me. I just need to make sure that I’m ready in moments like this where I can contribute. Just make sure I’m in the right mind frame to come on and influence the game.”
Read more: PSG star hints at frustration with Slot tactics: “A team like that…”
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