Jurgen Klopp hails Liverpool youngster as 'a joy to watch' | OneFootball

Jurgen Klopp has hailed the pre-season performances of Liverpool youngster James McConnell, labelling the midfielder as a 'joy to watch'.

Academy graduate McConnell has been a regular feature of Liverpool's pre-season squads, and made a particular impression in his 45 minutes on the pitch against Leicester on Sunday.

Playing deep in midfield, despite largely being an attacking midfielder for the Liverpool youth teams, McConnell thoroughly impressed with his composure on and off the ball.

The Reds ran out 4-0 winners over the Foxes in the Singapore National Stadium and, speaking to the press after the game, Klopp was keen to reserve special praise for McConnell.

"James [McConnell] on the six is just a joy to watch – the boy never played the position before we put him there and he throws his heart on the pitch to fill the role. These things are really good," he said.

McConnell wasn't the only youngster to catch the eye during the win over Leicester. Both Bobby Clark and Ben Doak both bagged their first ever senior goals for the club in the game, while the likes of Jarell Quansah, Calum Scanlon and Mel Frauendorf all attracted attention.

Speaking about what the youngster's chances of featuring for the first team during the 2023/24 season, Klopp told the club's official website: "The young boys took the chance just to show up – I told them already a week ago or so in the dressing room and I said I saw a lot of young players in my career but this group is special.

"Calum, the desire to play; Mel is a bit longer with us, but he makes big steps every year; Ben of course; Bobby scored his first goal today; Quansah grew in the last years, not only physically but as a man as well – a proper centre-half; Koumas, very early but physically already there, has all the things you need as a kid to become a real player – the speed, the technique and all that stuff.

"That's good, let's see where it will lead us to, but if these boys play the main role next season then we will have a problem because whilst we use these boys in moments where it's really going well, then one here and one there and they have still time to develop – and we give them that time."