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Leighton Clarkson felt he performed well when he achieved the dream of making his Champions League debut with Liverpool on Wednesday night.
The 19-year-old was named to the starting eleven for the Group D final against FC Midtjylland and went on to play the full 90 minutes of a 1-1 draw.
It was Clarkson’s third appearance with the Reds senior team, but his first on the European stage, making it a special occasion on a personal level.
“It’s something you dream of when you were a kid, obviously making your Champions League debut, and doing it here and now is a special moment for me and my family and I won’t forget it,” the midfielder told Liverpoolfc.com. -match.
“I thought I did well. In the first half, I thought I was better because we were playing soccer more and I thought I was getting a lot more into the game and making some decent passes.
“Then in the second half, we weren’t really into it and we were going deeper and we weren’t really playing possession football, and that’s something we need to work on with the next games.”
LFCTV GO: Every Touch of Clarkson’s European Debut
Clarkson represented Liverpool in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup last season and trains regularly with the first team under Jürgen Klopp.
He had been named on the bench for the previous two qualifiers in Group D, which the Reds led to claim. Seeded status for Monday’s round of 16 draw – before you get your chance in the Denmark field.
When asked what the coach told him before the game, Clarkson said: “He just said, ‘Play your normal game.’ I’ve been training with them for quite some time, but that was my proper debut. They just said, ‘Feel free, be yourself.’
“In order to be there training with them I have to have shown him something, so I’m happy I did it and obviously I’m delighted [the manager] He gave me this opportunity and I feel like I have taken advantage of it. “
A recurring theme of Liverpool’s campaign, particularly in the Champions League, has been the contributions of Academy graduates who have been called up.
On a night when Trent Alexander-Arnold proudly captained the team, there was a better chance that Caoimhin Kelleher, Rhys Williams and Billy Koumetio, now the youngest player to appear for the club in the European Cup, would take over.
“Obviously it helps with players like Henderson and Trent, the veteran players who advise you and tell you things on the field,” Clarkson explained.
“When you look around, I have known Rhys for many years, Billy has arrived and I have known him for quite a few years. We have been training with players like U16 and U18 [level] and obviously playing a Champions League game with the first team is just incredible. “
