KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Wednesday, November 27, 2019: Liverpool's Luis Longstaff (L) celebrates scoring the fifth goal with team-mate captain Curtis Jones during the UEFA Youth League Group E match between Liverpool FC Under-19's and SSC Napoli Under-19's at the Liverpool Academy. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Forward signs 1-year deal with Scottish club after Liverpool exit

Four of the seven players released by Liverpool this summer have now found new clubs, with young forward Luis Longstaff the latest to agree a permanent deal.

Earlier in the summer, the club announced their decision to release seven players, including Loris Karius and Divock Origi from the first-team squad.

Sheyi Ojo, Ben Woodburn and Elijah Dixon-Bonner departed having picked up senior experience with Liverpool, while academy right-back Sean Wilson was also not handed a new contract.

Longstaff, meanwhile, left Merseyside after seven years, having joined the club from Newcastle as a 14-year-old in 2015.

He moved on after training regularly with Jurgen Klopp‘s first team and, having made the bench for the League Cup win at MK Dons in 2019, making his debut in the 5-0 loss to Aston Villa in the fifth round.

His final season on the books was spent with Queen’s Park in the Scottish League One, in a campaign that saw them earn promotion via the playoffs.

The 21-year-old clearly caught the eye while in Glasgow, as Cove Rangers, the Aberdeen-based club who finished as champions of the same league last term, have handed him a one-year contract.

Interestingly, Cove Rangers currently only operate as a part-time club, but are aiming to establish themselves as a full-time operation in the Scottish Championship.

“It feels great to be here – I’m pleased to have got it over the line,” Longstaff told the club’s official website.

“Now I’m looking forward to getting started with the team, meeting the boys in training, and getting out on the pitch playing games again.

“Having won League One last year, the ambition of the club is there for everyone to see. They have big aspirations to become a full-time club, and they want to continue to push up the leagues.

“I spoke to the manager, and he made it clear they don’t want to just stay in the Championship, they want to keep pushing on and hopefully fight for promotion.

“The ambition the club shows is what pulled me here; I want to be a part of it.”

Longstaff has already made his debut for Cove Rangers, coming off the bench for the final 24 minutes of a 1-0 loss to Greenock Morton on Saturday, and could make his first start against Inverness Caledonian Thistle this weekend.

Longstaff follows Origi (AC Milan), Woodburn (Preston) and Ojo (Cardiff) in already finding a new club, with Dixon-Bonner, Karius and Wilson still to settle elsewhere.