Harvey Elliott will have had mixed feelings as he watched his long-time teammate Caoimhin Kelleher depart Liverpool last week.
There will likely have been sadness to see a friend leave, happiness for a fellow professional to finally be given a chance to shine, and perhaps even a pang of jealousy.
Both players spent the majority of last season watching from the Liverpool bench as Arne Slot's team swotted aside any competition en route to winning the title. Elliott and Kelleher will know they both played bit parts and weren’t central to Slot’s long-term plans.
It’s why this summer might just be the perfect time for two Premier League-proven players to move on.
Kelleher is already off, of course, securing a move to Brentford last week in a deal worth up to £18 million ($24M). He didn’t exactly hide his desire for a Liverpool exit, publicly referencing on several occasions how he was keen to hold down a No. 1 spot elsewhere.
Asked at the end of the season whether he was looking to play regularly, the Irishman replied: “Yeah definitely. I've said it before as well, I feel like I'm good enough to be a no.1 and I feel like I'm good enough to play week in, week out and that's what I'm looking to do.”
Caoimhin Kelleher
Kelleher left Liverpool last week
If Elliott watched Kelleher’s hastily arranged transfer and drew inspiration from the goalkeeper’s approach, he hasn’t hidden it particularly well. It also shouldn’t be overlooked that both players are represented by the same agency, ROOF.
“It's just a situation that me and the team on my behalf have to have a conversation about, because I'm coming to an age now where I'm 22, I'm going to be 23 next season, and I don't really want to be wasting years of my career, because it's a short career,” Elliott said during England’s Under-21 camp.
“I just want to improve and be the best possible version of myself and the best player I can be.
Harvey Elliott
Elliott struggled for game time this season (Image: Getty Images)
'”If that's to go somewhere else, then it's a decision I'm going to have to make and I just need to see what happens.”
Elliott previously stated in January that he has no plans to leave Liverpool, but his stance has softened over recent months. That he didn’t start a Premier League game until the league title was wrapped up will undoubtedly have influenced that view.
“Nothing makes me want to leave,” the boyhood Red added. “I love the club, I love the fans, the team. I support them as well.
“But as I said, most importantly, it's about what's best for my career. I just need to make that decision.”