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Neco Williams of Liverpool celebrates

Where are they now? Liverpool’s 2019 FA Youth Cup winners

Ben Stewart •

It’s been four years since Liverpool’s youngsters won the FA Youth Cup against Manchester City and we thought we’d check out where those stars are today.

Liverpool and Man City couldn’t be separated in normal time as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw at the Academy Stadium. Liverpool were crowned the winners after edging a penalty shootout 5-3.

We’ve gone back and checked out Liverpool’s starting 11 from that game and have assessed where they have ended up in 2023.

GK: Vitezslav Jaros

The Czech Republic shot-stopper is still on the books at Anfield, but he is still waiting to make his first senior appearance. Following his success in the FA Youth Cup, Jaros has been sent out on three loan spells.

Jaros has enjoyed spells with St Patrick’s Athletic, Notts County and most recently Stockport County. The 22-year-old stuck around at Anfield this summer, although his chances of breaking into the first team do seem slim.

RB: Neco Williams

Liverpool banked a healthy profit on the Welsh international last summer as Nottingham Forest came in with a £17million offer. He’s done well since and has established himself as a solid Premier League wing-back.

“It’s not easy to let him leave if I’m being honest, but he deserves to be playing regularly,” Jurgen Klopp told reporters upon Williams’ departure last year.

“I’m proud of the part we have played in his growth and development – I mean the entire club, not just as a first-team environment.”

CB: Rhys Williams

Due to Liverpool’s defensive crisis in 2020–21, Williams was handed plenty of first-team opportunities on the back of the FA Youth Cup triumph in 2019.

The 22-year-old has made 19 senior appearances for the Reds and has since been collecting some vital first-team experience while out on loan. Williams has had spells with Kidderminster Harriers, Swansea and Blackpool and he is currently on loan with Aberdeen.

CB: Morgan Boyes

The Welsh defender made two senior appearances for Liverpool before being sold in January last year. Livingston snatched up the youngster and he’s continued to develop his game playing in Scotland.

After making 19 appearances, Livingston decided to send the 22-year-old out on loan for the season to continue his development. He’ll now spend the season with Inverness Caledonian Thistle where he’ll be looking to nail down a regular starting spot.

LB: Yasser Larouci

Larouci made a couple of senior appearances for Liverpool in the cup, but his first-team opportunities were always going to be limited. Upon being released at the end of the 2020–21 campaign, he joined up with French outfit Troyes.

The 22-year-old established himself as a regular in his second season with the French club and despite their relegation from Ligue 1, Larouci had caught the eye of plenty of English clubs.

Sheffield United won the race for his signature this summer, snapping the left-back up on a loan deal, with the option to buy. He’s featured in four Premier League games so far and will be looking to make the move permanent.

CM: Leighton Clarkson (Luis Longstaff, 78′)

The 21-year-old midfielder got his first chance to shine while out on loan with Blackburn, but his career properly took off the following season while on loan with Aberdeen.

Clarkson scored five goals and chipped in with eight assists during his loan spell and he managed to earn a permanent move on the back of his promising form. The Scottish club handed him a four-year deal, with Liverpool receiving an undisclosed fee in the process.

Like Clarkson, Longstaff has also forged a career for himself in Scottish football. Upon his release from Liverpool, Longstaff joined Cove Rangers and after an impressive debut season, he was picked up by Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

CM: Abdi Sharif

After being released by Liverpool in 2021, Sharif had been without a club for over a year before he was picked up by Wigan Athletic in July. Following a successful trial with the club, they handed him a two-year contract.

He made history on his debut for the Latics too as he became the first ever Somali player to play in the Championship. Now in League One, the aim will be promotion this season.

CM: Jake Cain (Jack Bearne, 101′)

Cain was handed his senior debut by Jurgen Klopp in an FA Cup clash with Shrewsbury Town in 2020. Realising that his first-team opportunities were probably going to be slim at Anfield, he then spent the 2021–22 season on loan with Newport County.

After impressing on loan in League Two,  Swindon Town snapped up the youngster on a permanent basis in January earlier this year.

Like Cain, Bearne also made one solitary senior appearance before heading out on loan to Kidderminster Harriers. Upon his deal expiring with Liverpool, he joined Scottish side Greenock Morton on a permanent basis.

RW: Bobby Duncan

Considering Duncan is still only 22 years old, his career has already taken plenty of twists and turns. When Liverpool snapped the forward up in 2018, they thought they had a superstar on their hands.

Duncan had a sublime scoring record in the Liverpool youth ranks and he played a key role in their 2019 FA Youth Cup triumph by scoring in the final.

Fiorentina saw the potential in Duncan and decided to splash £1.8million on the youngster, although he struggled to make much of an impression in Italy. Following a short-lived spell with Derby County, he now plays in the third-tier of Spanish football for Linense.

ST: Paul Glatzel

The 22-year-old has been on the books at Liverpool since since under-9s level and he is still with the Reds today. Glatzel spent the last couple of years on loan with Tranmere Rovers, but he has struggled with a number of injury setbacks in that time.

His contract with Liverpool was set to expire this summer, but the club decided to offer him an extension, despite the fact he is yet to make his senior debut. Time will tell what the future holds for Glatzel.

LW: Elijah Dixon-Bonner

Like many of the other players from this starting XI, Dixon-Bonner has also forged a career for himself away from Anfield. Upon his contract not being renewed in the summer of 2022, he joined Championship outfit QPR.

“The time I have spent at Liverpool Football Club has been special,” Dixon-Bonner wrote on social media upon leaving the club. “The time has come where I believe the best choice for my future is to move on, to grow as a player and pursue other challenges I have for myself.”

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