Jurgen Klopp admits “new influences” will help as 7 Liverpool youngsters named

Jurgen Klopp believes “the base is there” for a bright future at Liverpool, while admitting that “new influences” in charge will help the club’s new generation.

Klopp oversaw the final away game of his tenure on Monday, and witnessed two of the club’s best young players combine for the Reds’ third goal.

Harvey Elliott‘s free-kick was headed in by Jarell Quansah, which according to Opta’s Michael Reid was the first Premier League goal scored in which two English players aged 21 or under combined since Steven Gerrard assisted Michael Owen in 2001.

Both players are likely to form a key part of incoming head coach Arne Slot‘s plans, with Klopp taking a reflective view in his press conference after Liverpool drew 3-3 at Aston Villa.

The manager explained that “new influences always help,” and named Elliott and Quansah alongside five other youngsters who are part of the next core.

“I’m allowed to see just the good bits of it,” he said.

“If you carry on you have to think about what didn’t go well, because then you have to make changes, adjustments, whatever. But that’s obviously not me.

“So the good things, yes, I said it before.

“It’s interesting you said Harvey came through. Harvey’s already in, I think, his third season, if not the fourth.

“He’s already a while here, he was already the best player and then badly injured and stuff like this. But yes, good game today.

“Jarell yes, Conor yes, James McConnell, Bobby Clark, Kaide Gordon – long, long injured, back now, really good – Stefan Bajcetic…so the base is there, and all the other big guns.

“New influences always help, that’s how it is.

“We did what we could. If we could have done better, we probably would have, let me say it like that. Now we are where we are and that’s it.”

There was an immediate fear following the news of Klopp’s resignation that the outstanding work in developing the academy and rewarding young players would be tarnished by a change of staff.

But encouragingly, Slot has proved during his time at Feyenoord that he is not only comfortable, but eager to bring youth into his side whenever possible.

While Elliott and Quansah may already be established starters at first-team level, and Conor Bradley is not far off, there should be opportunity for others to step up next season.

Those “new influences” could see a change in fortunes for some who are yet to break through, and an improvement for others who are still on the cusp.