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Liverpool have already seen Curtis Jones take great strides forward this season, establishing himself as a vital member of Jurgen Klopp’s team.
But there are another pair of midfielders who hope that in 2021 they can take similar steps to establish themselves as regular Liverpool players.
As discussed on the Academy Show podcast, 19-year-old Leighton Clarkson and Jake Cain, born just over a month apart, are among the Academy stars most likely to be rising stars this calendar year as did Jones last time.
Nine months or so younger than Jones, both are ready to take the next step in their careers, although after Liverpool drew Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup, a similar break in that competition has been delayed. .
Clarkson, nicknamed Philip Lahm, according to The Athletic, due to his tactical understanding, passing intelligence to the attacking areas, played in the Champions League earlier this season, underscoring exactly what Klopp, Pep Lijnders and company think of him.
In that game in Denmark, Clarkson impressed alongside Naby Keita and Takumi Minamino in midfield, showing off his ability to find a pass. No one on the field completed more passes than number six in his senior category debut.
Clarkson, one of the group that benefited from working with Steven Gerrard when he was the U-18 boss, is known for falling behind after training and practice, putting in extra yards to improve and impress.
His slight build and lack of height mean he has to think ahead and be smarter than his opponents, but he has shown signs of being able to do it expertly, leading to the nickname ‘Lahm’.
“In Germany, there is a famous player who played in a similar way to him. You may have to go back a bit more and I don’t want to put pressure on the boy, but he reminds me a lot of him,” Klopp said after Midtjylland. game.
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“He is just a good footballer, an intelligent footballer. He is fast, physically strong. If you see him, his legs are not like the legs of a 19 year old boy, they have already grown, so I am very happy to give him his chance because he deserves it. “
Lahm was the German star he was referring to, and Clarkson was the player described. Then there is no pressure, although the evidence suggests that you can handle it.
As for Cain, a more progressive left-handed midfielder, the steps to progression are remarkably similar to Jones’ in some respects.
Like Jones, he was tasked with adding more goals to his game over the summer, as the older man did 12 months earlier, and he duly did it with some delicious free throws earlier in the season.
Cain produced seven goal contributions in eight Premier League 2 games in the opening weeks of the season, but has only appeared three times for Liverpool’s Under-23s since 6 November.
That, however, is only because they have needed him for the first team bench and training sessions, where he has been impressing amidst very talented competition.
Jones was the last Academy midfielder to establish himself in the top tier under Klopp, but he won’t be the last.
If the Toxteth-born player has already saved Liverpool millions, Blackburn-born Clarkson and Wigan-born Cain could see the Reds repeat the trick.
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