Jurgen Klopp has named 18-year-old striker Jayden Danns in the Liverpool first-team squad for the first time, as Luton visit Anfield in the Premier League.
With injuries blighting his squad in all areas, Klopp has made five changes to his starting lineup against Luton – and named an inexperienced bench.
That includes five academy players in James McConnell, Bobby Clark, Trey Nyoni, Kaide Gordon and, for the first time, Danns.
• READ: Confirmed Liverpool lineup vs. Luton: 5 changes with 11 players out
Danns is the 39th different name in a Liverpool matchday squad this season, and the 10th teenager.
So who is he, who does he play like and what could we expect?
Who is Jayden Danns?
A Scouser, born in Liverpool, Danns has been with the Reds his entire youth career, having joined the club at the age of eight.
He progressed steadily through the ranks but, after a campaign as second choice to another 18-year-old, Lewis Koumas, last time out, he has broken through in 2023/24.
Danns is the son of former Premier League midfielder and current Tranmere assistant manager Neil Danns.
Who does he play like?
There are often comparisons made between Danns and Harry Kane, in the way they lead the line while regularly dropping deep to influence play.
As his body has filled out – after growing almost a foot in eight months while in the U16s – there are clear similarities between him and Roberto Firmino, too.
Danns is at his best as an out-and-out striker, and has showcased an array of finishes, both spectacular and routine, with 21 goals while splitting his time between the U18s and U21s this season.
What has Jurgen Klopp said?
Speaking after the 5-2 victory over Norwich in the FA Cup, Klopp name-checked Danns along with Nyoni and Koumas as “special” players coming through next:
“Trey and Dannsy are special as well from the U18s, Koumas.
“There are a lot of really good players coming up still. The academy is in a good moment, I would say, production-wise. It’s wonderful.”
And in his pre-Luton press conference, the manager again picked the trio out as “massive talents” who can aid the current injury crisis:
“We still have options there, definitely, players who showed already what they can do like James [McConnell] or Bobby [Clark].
“Others even who didn’t feature yet but are in or around that, Koumas, Dannsy, Trey, they are all massive talents.”
What has he said?
In a recent interview with the club’s official website, Danns vowed to put everything into raising his standards after a taste of first-team training:
“My long-term aim is to be the best player I can possibly be.
“I don’t want to end my career and have any regrets where I could have worked harder. I’d rather just put all the work in and try to get as much as I can from it.
“Step by step, I want to become the player that I envision.”
Anything else?
If he were to score, Danns would become the club’s third-youngest league goalscorer of all time, at 18 years and 36 days.
It would place him behind only Michael Owen (17 years, 143 days) and Raheem Sterling (17 years, 317 days).
He would overtake Stefan Bajcetic (18 years, 65 days) as Klopp’s youngest Premier League goalscorer.
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