The latest Liverpool news as former Academy star Rhian Brewster is finally enjoying success in a Sheffield United shirt following his move there in 2020.
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Former Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster.
Former Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster.(Image: Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Four-and-a-half years after his Liverpool departure, Rhian Brewster may well finally be on the road to fulfilling his potential.
The 24-year-old was one of the Reds' most promising youth prospects when he joined the Academy from Chelsea in 2015. He was first called up to the first-team by former manager Jurgen Klopp in 2016 - but didn't make his senior competitive debut until 2019 in a League Cup match against MK Dons.
Despite posting impressive numbers in the Academy, Brewster made only four senior appearances for Liverpool, before he spent time on loan at Swansea City and was eventually sold to Sheffield United in a deal worth up to £23.5m. It was a nasty ankle injury which kept him out for more than a year between 2018 and 2019 that hampered his progress in a red shirt and led to his eventual departure.
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In his first season with the Blades, he made 30 appearances across all competitions but didn't score a single goal in that time. The following campaign - with Sheffield United back in the EFL Championship - he had a promising spell in the team between November and January, in which he scored three goals, before a hamstring injury sustained in February kept him side-lined for the rest of the season.
The 2022/23 season followed a similar story as a hamstring problem picked up at the end of October turned out to be season-ending. Last term, with the Blades back in the Premier League, Brewster managed just 13 appearances in the competition due to his reoccurring hamstring problems.
As a result, the forward's stock plummeted to its lowest ever point at the end of 2023 - where it has remained ever since. According to Transfermarkt, Brewster's market value currently stands at roughly £2.5m, which is a far-cry from the fee paid for him just over four years ago.
That being said, things may finally be on the up for the 24-year-old as he looks to get his career, that once held so much promise, back on track. This season under Chris Wilder, as the Blades hunt down promotion back into the big time, Brewster has seemingly put his injury woes behind him with 30 Championship appearances so far.
He had a slight blip in November, as he missed five games with a thigh problem, but he returned in December and has been available ever since. Not only that, Brewster has had an impressive March with two goals and one assist in their last three games.
The striker was one the score-sheet in their 3-1 win over Coventry City on Friday evening, smashing home the third goal of the night to keep the pressure on promotion rivals Leeds United. He also scored the winner and only goal of the game against arch rivals Sheffield Wednesday before March's international break.
Whether or not Brewster's injury woes are truly in the past remains to be seen but, with his club currently chasing promotion, he's certainly playing a decisive role during the run-in. And in doing so, he's reminding everyone exactly why he was rated so highly when he joined Liverpool as a youngster almost a decade ago.
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