Liverpool's Harvey Elliott has openly discussed his desire not to "waste years" on the bench in a clear hint about his Anfield future. The 22-year-old talent found himself limited to a mere 18 appearances in the club's Premier League title-winning campaign, featuring in the starting line-up just twice as Liverpool secured their landmark 20th league title.
Elliott, who is a lifelong supporter of the Reds, was visibly emotional during the team's jubilant festivities, fuelling speculation about his potential departure from the club he adores. Speaking ahead of England's under-21 European Championship opener against Czech Republic in Slovakia, the midfielder candidly admitted: "It's just a situation that me and the team have to have a conversation about because I'm coming into an age now where I'm 22, I'm going to be 23 next season.
"I don't really want to be wasting years on my career because it's a short career. You don't know what's going to happen. I need to reflect. I need to see if I'm content in doing what I'm doing and how can I improve as a player because that's the most important thing."
"I just want to improve and be the best possible version of myself. If that's to go somewhere else, then it's a decision that I'm going to have to make and I just need to see what happens."
Yet, the youngster was quick to emphasise his deep affection for Liverpool: "Nothing makes me want to leave. I love the club, I love the fans, the team. I support them as well. But most importantly, it's just about what's best for my career."
Elliott's standout moment of the season occurred during Liverpool's thrilling 1-0 first-leg Champions League triumph over Paris Saint-Germain.
In a tense match at Parc Des Princes, Elliott made a dramatic entrance as a substitute in the 86th minute and netted the decisive goal just 47 seconds later, steering Liverpool towards a commanding position.
Elliott had hoped that his contribution would be a catalyst for more playing time: "I thought so. I thought PSG was kind of a high for me, especially with the Premier League game coming up a few days later. I thought it was an opportunity for me to get a start and showcase what I can do and just get a nice run out but the boss is the boss.
"He's the man in charge. He's the reason why we've won the league, because of his decisions. His decisions were not to start me, I can't complain."
Despite the limited minutes, Elliott celebrated a title victory with Liverpool finishing a solid 10 points ahead of their nearest rivals, Arsenal.
Even with a Premier League winner's medal to his name, Elliott considers this season to have been challenging on a personal level, particularly after sustaining a fractured foot in September.
He remarked: "It's been a bit different. The game time hasn't been as much. It's been a difficult season I would say. It's been a season where, especially in the Premier League, we've dominated and coming into a team that's doing so well.
"After my injury, I think it was always going to be hard but I'd hoped I would have got some more opportunities but football is football."