Liverpool wonderkid makes it 12 goals in 10 to move on brink of first-team | OneFootball

One Liverpool academy star is right on the brink of the first-team. He's made it 12 goals in 10 games.

Liverpool have spent a lot of time and money on their academy system, hoping to pull it out of the dark period in the 2000s where very few players made it to senior level. They've done just that.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was the crown jewel, of course, but the likes of Curtis Jones, Caoimhin Kelleher, Jarell Quansah, and Conor Bradley have all become established senior players in recent years.

That's a brilliant job well done but the process is far from over. Rio Ngumoha is another Liverpool hope to promote to the senior side permanently, while it feels as though Kieran Morrison is right on the brink here.

The attacker has excelled with the Under 21s in Premier League 2 over the second half of the season, making a clear development jump. In fact, it really feels as though he's outgrowing the level.

Morrison scored again for the U21s against Crystal Palace on Sunday. It's his 12th goal in 10 PL2 matches, with three assists going alongside those.

Another even small jump from Morrison would put him right in the mix for a first-team place. He's on the brink here, scoring for fun and becoming a leader at youth level.

Arne Slot has already featured him for a few minutes, and he's fairly consistently making it into squads now. So we're close - Morrison is absolutely one to watch.

Kieran Morrison: Situation Summary

Senior International Call-Up

On 16 March, the 19-year-old winger received his first senior call-up to the Northern Ireland squad for their upcoming World Cup 2026 play-off semi-final against Italy. Manager Michael O’Neill cited Morrison’s "prolific" form as the reason for his inclusion. This follows a month where he has been a regular on Arne Slot’s first-team bench, including for recent matches against Galatasaray and Brighton.

Record-Breaking Academy Form

Morrison has been the standout performer for Liverpool’s U21s, captaining the side and scoring 16 goals across all competitions this season. On 8 March, he set a club record for the highest league goal tally in a single season for a youth player in over 16 years. His most recent goal came in a 5-1 defeat to Crystal Palace yesterday, 22 March.

Contract Status

Currently under contract until June 2027, Liverpool has reportedly opened talks for a new three-year extension. The club turned down January loan interest from Schalke to keep him as senior cover following injuries to Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.