Harvey Elliott spent last season on loan at Aston Villa
Harvey Elliott spent last season on loan at Aston Villa(Image: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)
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Andoni Iraola believes Harvey Elliott’s “difficult” time at Aston Villa has made him even more determined to succeed at Liverpool.
The 23-year-old played just 110 minutes of Premier League football last season, largely because Unai Emery decided early in the campaign that he did not want to sign Elliott on a permanent deal.
Villa would have been obliged to pay £35 million to sign Elliott from Liverpool if he made 10 Premier League appearances. However, he was also used sparingly in the Europa League.
By the winter transfer window, Villa were keen to remove the appearance-based conditions attached to the deal and instead push for a straightforward loan, which would have allowed Emery to select Elliott more freely. Liverpool, however, were unwilling to renegotiate the agreement.
That decision was influenced largely by Villa emerging as a direct rival. As Liverpool’s title challenge faded at the start of January, their focus shifted to securing a top-five finish.
New manager Andoni Iraola has now outlined his plans for Elliott, confirming that the midfielder has been given a fresh opportunity to impress at Anfield.
”Harvey is here with us. I've seen him with this eagerness to show himself and getting himself ready again," Iraola said.
"He will have a chance during pre-season. We will need him. It's a good sign. He came one week earlier. He has been training with the under 21s.
"I hope we can see him in a good place. Last season had to be very difficult for him. It was a strange situation where they couldn't even put him to play.
"And I think he uses this, the bad situation he has experienced, to make him even more eager to be a Liverpool player."
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