The full list of every Liverpool academy graduate Jurgen Klopp has given a debut to
Jurgen Klopp has given more than 40 Liverpool academy graduates their senior debut and made almost £100m selling nine of them who only played 58 games.
During his first press conference as Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho once pre-empted a question about his promotion of youth by producing a list of 49 players he had brought through during his entire career.
It inevitably included a whole load of erroneous names, including the same Arjen Robben who had already made 100 senior appearances and impressed at Euro 2004 before playing his first game under Mourinho.
The thing is, Klopp can almost match that entirely fabricated tally purely on the basis of his nine years at Liverpool, which might ordinarily embarrass and shame a manager like Jose Mourinho if he wasn’t quite so Jose Mourinho about everything.
These 42 players were all given senior Liverpool debuts by Klopp after spending at least some time in and representing the club’s youth system, meaning other actual children like Sepp van den Berg and Calvin Ramsay miss out.
A decent starting XI can be put together solely from these players – Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Phillips, N. Williams; Morton, Jones, Bajcetic; Wilson, Danns, Doak – and nine of them were sold for almost £100m despite making a combined 58 first-team appearances for the Reds.
Ryan Kent, Danny Ward, Sergi Canos, Ovie Ejaria, Harry Wilson, Ki-Jana Hoever, Rafael Camacho, Rhian Brewster and Neco Williams were all shipped off for considerable fees despite such relative inexperience and so few have been properly successful since; it really isn’t difficult to see just why Liverpool were so desperate to get Michael Edwards back.
In any event, these are the contents of the scribbled note Klopp might unfurl if anyone ever accuses him of not bringing enough young players through.
1) Connor Randall (October 28, 2015)
Debut age: 20 years, 7 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Bournemouth (1-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 8
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Released by the Reds when his contract expired in summer 2019, the right-back is now with Ross County at 28.
2) Sheyi Ojo (January 8, 2016)
Debut age: 18 years, 6 months, 20 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Exeter (2-2 draw)
Liverpool appearances: 13
Liverpool goals: 1
Current status: Released by the Reds when his contract expired in summer 2022, the midfielder is now with KV Kortrijk, on loan from Cardiff at 26, and remains the most expensive 14-year-old footballer in history.
3) Ryan Kent (January 8, 2016)
Debut age: 19 years, 1 month, 28 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Exeter (2-2 draw)
Liverpool appearances: 1
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sold to Rangers for £7.5m in September 2019 and is now with Fenerbahce after his release from the Scottish club in summer 2023 at 27.
4) Joe Maguire (January 8, 2016)
Debut age: 19 years, 11 months, 21 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Exeter (2-2 draw)
Liverpool appearances: 1
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sold to Fleetwood for an undisclosed fee in January 2017 and is happily retired from the game at 28.
5) Danny Ward (April 17, 2016)
Debut age: 22 years, 9 months, 26 days
Debut in: Premier League
Debut against: Bournemouth (2-1 win)
Liverpool appearances: 3
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sold to Leicester for £12.5m in July 2018 and remains with the Foxes but is mostly out of the squad at 30.
6) Sergi Canos (May 15, 2016)
Debut age: 19 years, 3 months, 13 days
Debut in: Premier League
Debut against: West Brom (2-2 draw)
Liverpool appearances: 1
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sold to Norwich for £2.5m in July 2016, the midfielder is now with Valencia at 27.
7) Ovie Ejaria (September 20, 2016)
Debut age: 18 years, 10 months, 2 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Derby (3-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 8
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sold to Reading for £3.5m in August 2020 but was released by the Royals in December 2023 and is a free agent at 26.
8) Trent Alexander-Arnold (October 25, 2016)
Debut age: 18 years, 18 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Tottenham (2-1 win)
Liverpool appearances: 302
Liverpool goals: 18
Current status: Making a decent fist of putting a solid senior career together somewhere at 25.
9) Ben Woodburn (November 26, 2016)
Debut age:17 years, 1 month, 11 days
Debut in: Premier League
Debut against: Sunderland (2-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 11
Liverpool goals: 1
Current status: One of many ruined dreams Steven Gerrard had for Liverpool as he is on the Preston bench at 24 after his Reds contract expired in summer 2022.
10) Harry Wilson (January 18, 2017)
Debut age: 19 years, 9 months, 27 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Plymouth (1-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 2
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sold to Fulham for £12m and remains an important player for the Premier League side at 26.
11) Ki-Jana Hoever (January 7, 2019)
Debut age: 16 years, 11 months, 20 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Wolves (2-1 defeat)
Liverpool appearances: 4
Liverpool goals: 1
Current status: Sold to Wolves for £9m in September 2020 and is on loan at Stoke in the Championship at 22.
12) Curtis Jones (January 7, 2019)
Debut age: 17 years, 11 months, 8 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Wolves (2-1 defeat)
Liverpool appearances: 125
Liverpool goals: 16
Current status: A crucial part of the Liverpool midfield – when fit – at 23.
13) Rafael Camacho (January 7, 2019)
Debut age: 18 years, 7 months, 16 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Wolves
Liverpool appearances: 2
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sold to Sporting for £7m – not as part of a deal to snatch Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United – and is on loan at Greek side Aris, his third loan spell away from the Portuguese club at 23.
14) Rhian Brewster (September 25, 2019)
Debut age: 19 years, 5 months, 24 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: MK Dons (2-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 4
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sold to Sheffield United for £23.5m in October 2020 but has struggled to establish himself with the Blades, scoring five goals in 63 games at 23.
15) Caoimhin Kelleher (September 25, 2019)
Debut age: 20 years, 10 months, 2 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: MK Dons (2-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 42
Liverpool goals: 0. Must be rubbish.
Current status: A phenomenal Alisson understudy with five career trophies but not the best back-up keeper in the Premier League at 25.
16) Neco Williams (October 30, 2019)
Debut age: 18 years, 6 months, 17 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Arsenal (5-5 draw, 5-4 win on penalties)
Liverpool appearances: 33
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sold to Nottingham Forest for £17m in July 2022 and is starting more often than not under Nuno Espirito Santo at 22.
17) Yasser Larouci (January 5, 2020)
Debut age: 19 years, 4 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Everton (1-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 2
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Released by the Reds when his contract expired in summer 2021, the defender is now with Sheffield United, on loan from Troyes at 23.
18) Nat Phillips (January 5, 2020)
Debut age: 22 years, 9 months, 5 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Everton (1-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 29
Liverpool goals: 1
Current status: Will always be cherished by Klopp after helping in one of Liverpool’s many injury crises and is still with the Reds, albeit on loan at Cardiff after spells at Bournemouth and Celtic at 26.
19) Rhys Williams (September 24, 2020)
Debut age: 19 years, 7 months, 21 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Lincoln (7-2 win)
Liverpool appearances: 19
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: On loan at Port Vale after spells with Kidderminster, Swansea, Blackpool and Aberdeen at 23.
20) Billy Koumetio (December 9, 2020)
Debut age: 18 years, 25 days
Debut in: Champions League
Debut against: FC Midtjylland (1-1 draw)
Liverpool appearances: 2
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: On loan at Blackburn after spells with Austria Wien and Dunkerque at 21.
21) Leighton Clarkson (December 9, 2020)
Debut age: 19 years, 1 month, 20 days
Debut in: Champions League
Debut against: FC Midtjylland (1-1 draw)
Liverpool appearances: 3
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sold to Aberdeen for an undisclosed fee in June 2023 and is a first-team regular in Scotland at 22.
Clarkson had played previously for mostly U23 sides coached by Neil Critchley against Aston Villa in the League Cup in December 2019 and Shrewsbury in an FA Cup replay in February 2020, when Klopp and his players were on Club World Cup duty and taking a winter break respectively.
22) Kaide Gordon (September 21, 2021)
Debut age: 16 years, 11 months, 16 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Norwich (3-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 7
Liverpool goals: 1
Current status: In and very much around the first-team squad at 19.
23) Conor Bradley (September 21, 2021)
Debut age: 18 years, 2 months, 12 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Norwich (3-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 22
Liverpool goals: 1
Current status: Comfortably replacing Alexander-Arnold and starting at Wembley at 20.
24) Tyler Morton (September 21, 2021)
Debut age: 18 years, 10 months, 21 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Norwich (3-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 9
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: On loan and playing regularly for Hull after similarly impressing during a spell with Blackburn at 21.
25) Harvey Blair (October 27, 2021)
Debut age: 18 years, 1 month, 3 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Preston (2-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 1
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Suffered a long-term knee injury in summer 2023 and has struggled for academy minutes since at 20.
26) Owen Beck (October 27, 2021)
Debut age: 19 years, 2 months, 18 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Preston (2-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 3
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: On loan at Dundee after spells with Famalicao and Bolton at 21.
27) Elijah Dixon-Bonner (October 27, 2021)
Debut age: 20 years, 9 months, 26 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Preston (2-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 3
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Released by the Reds when his contract expired in summer 2022, the midfielder is now with QPR at 23.
Dixon-Bonner had played previously for a mostly U23s side coached by Neil Critchley against Shrewsbury in an FA Cup replay in February 2020 as Klopp and his senior players took their winter break.
28) Max Woltman (December 7, 2021)
Debut age: 18 years, 3 months, 17 days
Debut in: Champions League
Debut against: AC Milan (2-1 win)
Liverpool appearances: 2
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sold to Oxford for an undisclosed fee in August 2023 and is yet to make his breakthrough in League One at 20.
29) Melkamu Frauendorf (January 9, 2022)
Debut age: 17 years, 11 months, 28 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Shrewsbury (4-1 win)
Liverpool appearances: 2
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: In and out of the U21s side and unlikely to receive an extension to a contract which expires this summer at 20.
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30) James Norris (January 9, 2022)
Debut age: 18 years, 9 months, 5 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Shrewsbury (4-1 win)
Liverpool appearances: 2
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: On loan and slowly breaking into the first team of League Two Tranmere at 20.
Norris had played previously for an U23 side coached by Neil Critchley against Aston Villa in the League Cup in December 2019, when Klopp and his players were on Club World Cup duty.
31) Bobby Clark (August 27, 2022)
Debut age: 17 years, 6 months, 20 days
Debut in: Premier League
Debut against: Bournemouth (9-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 13
Liverpool goals: 1
Current status: Filling in during the current injury crisis, assisting Lewis Koumas’ goal against Southampton and scoring against Sparta Prague at 19.
32) Stefan Bajcetic (August 27, 2022)
Debut age: 17 years, 10 months, 5 days
Debut in: Premier League
Debut against: Bournemouth (9-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 21
Liverpool goals: 1
Current status: A valued member of the Liverpool midfield when fit but injuries have restricted him to two appearances this season at 19.
33) Ben Doak (November 9, 2022)
Debut age: 16 years, 11 months, 29 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Derby (0-0 draw, 3-2 win on penalties)
Liverpool appearances: 10
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sidelined after having surgery on his knee at 18.
34) Layton Stewart (November 9, 2022)
Debut age: 20 years, 2 months, 6 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Derby (0-0 draw, 3-2 win on penalties)
Liverpool appearances: 1
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Sold to Preston for an undisclosed fee in July 2023 and is yet to start for the Championship side at 21.
35) Jarell Quansah (August 27, 2023)
Debut age: 20 years, 6 months, 29 days
Debut in: Premier League
Debut against: Newcastle (2-1 win)
Liverpool appearances: 24
Liverpool goals: 1
Current status: A vital squad option and considered to be Virgil van Dijk’s heir with a perfect Premier League record at 21.
36) Luke Chambers (September 27, 2023)
Debut age: 19 years, 3 months, 3 days
Debut in: League Cup
Debut against: Leicester (3-1 win)
Liverpool appearances: 4
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: On loan at Wigan after a spell with Kilmarnock at 19.
37) Calum Scanlon (October 26, 2023)
Debut age: 18 years, 8 months, 12 days
Debut in: Europa League
Debut against: Toulouse (5-1 win)
Liverpool appearances: 2
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Playing regularly for the U21s while filling in when needed at senior level at 19.
38) James McConnell (October 26, 2023)
Debut age: 19 years, 1 month, 13 days
Debut in: Europa League
Debut against: Toulouse (5-1 win)
Liverpool appearances: 9
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: In and very much around the first-team squad at 19.
39) Jayden Danns (February 21, 2024)
Debut age: 18 years, 1 month, 5 days
Debut in: Premier League
Debut against: Luton (4-1 win)
Liverpool appearances: 4
Liverpool goals: 2
Current status: Casually leading the line and winning trophies at 18.
40) Trey Nyoni (February 28, 2024)
Debut age: 16 years, 7 months, 29 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Southampton (3-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 1
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Becoming Liverpool’s youngest ever player to appear in the FA Cup and the third-youngest in their history in all competitions at 16.
41) Lewis Koumas (February 28, 2024)
Debut age: 18 years, 5 months, 9 days
Debut in: FA Cup
Debut against: Southampton (3-0 win)
Liverpool appearances: 1
Liverpool goals: 1
Current status: Becoming Liverpool’s fourth-youngest debut scorer and first ever scorer born after the 2005 Champions League final.
42) Mateusz Musialowski (March 14, 2024)
Debut age: 20 years, 4 months, 27 days
Debut in: Europa League
Debut against: Sparta Prague (6-1 win)
Liverpool appearances: 1
Liverpool goals: 0
Current status: Being described as “an exceptional talent” and very much “ready” for the first team by Klopp.
