Neco Williams was one of several Liverpool youngsters to make their competitive Anfield bows on Wednesday night in the dramatic Carabao Cup win over Arsenal.
Williams stars on Anfield debut as Reds defeat Gunners
The 18-year-old right-back played a major part in the second-half revival, with the Reds staring down the barrel of defeat with the scores at 2-4 following a rare error from James Milner.
Williams had a hand to play in Liverpool’s opener inside the sixth minute, brilliantly spotting the run of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in behind the Arsenal defence, lobbying the ball straight into his path.
A move cultivated by the awareness of the young defender, Chamberlain’s subsequent cross was later diverted in by Shkodran Mustafi to give the young Reds a perfect start on the night. The 18-year-old didn’t rest on his laurels either, surging down the right flank in the dying embers of the match with Liverpool in need of a late equaliser to take the contest to penalties.
Once again, he proved to be the man of the moment, digging out a cross to Divock Origi inside the area, with the Belgian producing an emphatic scissor kick to level the scores at 5-5.
Elswhere, Williams was combative and assured in his defensive duties, battling well to regain possession and making every attempt to get the ball into the front men wherever possible.
His quick thinking and forward approach will undoubtedly have impressed Klopp on Wednesday night in a performance that illustrated why the teenager is so highly thought of around Melwood.
'It was a dream come true', Williams reflects on debut
Speaking after the match, Williams said Wednesday’s appearance was a dream come true.
“It’s a dream come true. It was an exciting game, I bet, for everyone,” he told the club’s official website. “I though the team dug in, we kept on going until the very end and I thought we deserved it.”
“I thought we gave them a few sloppy goals which we could work on in training, but overall I thought the team dug in. We stuck as a team as we got the win. It just happened too fast, I wish it had went on forever!”
Achieving the most touches, most crosses and most tackles alongside the most interceptions and blocks, it was a dream debut for Neco Williams on a night he and many of his fellow Liverpool youngsters will never forget.