Liverpool striker Jayden Danns has followed his remarkable start to life in the first team by signing a new contract that ties him to the club for the long term.
At 18 years, one month and 12 days, Danns became the club’s second-youngest FA Cup goalscorer when he netted against Southampton in the fifth round.
His brace in that 3-0 victory capped a stunning breakthrough for a player who as recently as January was still considered an U18s player.
Having already made four appearances for his boyhood club – all from the bench – Danns is expected to take up a prominent role in plans for the future.
That has seen the teenager put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, as confirmed by Liverpool on Friday.
After an influential cameo in the 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the beginning of March, Danns was forced to miss the following two games due to concussion.
But the striker was back on the bench as Liverpool beat Sparta Prague 6-1 in the Europa League, albeit going unused throughout as Jurgen Klopp turned to Mateusz Musialowski instead.
With Mo Salah now back fit and joining Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott in the more senior crop of forwards, there could be fewer opportunities in the final months of the campaign.
Liverpool have shown their continued faith in Danns, however, in a sign that those within the club believe he could be a central figure even after Klopp’s exit.
It will be another proud moment for the youngster and his family, as he summed up in his post-match interview after the win over Southampton.
“It’s a dream come true,” he said at the time.
“I’ve supported the club since birth so to come on and score at the Kop end was unreal, it doesn’t feel real to me, it feels like I’m in a movie.”
Danns continued: “[My dad, Neil] said last time when I made my debut he was crying so I don’t know what he’s going to be doing now.
“He’s in the stands watching and so is my mum, brother, sister and nan. It’s unbelievable.”
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