An Ode to Harvey Elliott

AN ARTICLE BY MATTY

Harvey Elliott has been and always will be a special player in my heart. He was the first Liverpool player who was my age, we were born in the same month. It hits different when someone who at least is somewhat similar to you makes it to the big time. And boy was Elliott a big time star in the making. Debuted for Fulham at 14 years old. He’s only 22 now. Bought by Liverpool at the age of 16, during a summer largely trashed for a lack of activity he was the lone bright mark. In Klopp’s 2021/22 team, for my money the best team of the Klopp era, Jurgen had him starting in midfield at the age of 18. If it weren’t for that horrendous tackle from Pascal Struijk, I wonder if Harvey would’ve have started half the games that season. Arguably our best midfielder to start that season before his unfortunate injury. He recovered, and then he was put straight back in the starting eleven at the historic San Siro, against a strong Inter Milan team. Didn’t do all that well, but it was understandable. The pressure of the moment, just coming off of a major injury, the future was still so bright.

He’d be brought along slowly over the next couple of seasons, making more and more of a mark. His cameo against Crystal Palace, his goals in the cups, his stock perhaps stagnating a little bit but still on the rise. There were complaints that perhaps he was too small or not physical enough to be the midfielder Klopp wanted, and maybe there’s some truth to that. Even still, Klopp loved him. Harvey loved Liverpool, after all. His boyhood club, he lived out a childhood dream in playing for the beloved Redmen. He wore his heart on his sleeve often. He cried after his first goal for us. Celebrating the title last season with fervor. It was cute to see Salah take Harvey under his wing as much as he did. He was like Salah’s little brother, always celebrating with him like an excited kid who’s still in shock that he’s playing with his idol. I think that’s why Elliott was given more chances compared to Fabio Carvalho, for example. Elliott’s blood was Liverpool red, Fabio’s was decidedly not.

You may wonder why I’m writing this now, or why I’m writing it with sorrow. To be honest, I’m concerned for Elliott’s career. As someone who I took great interest in, who I felt a connection to, who I desperately wanted to spearhead the new generation of Reds, the last year has saddened me a bit. I understand when you have the chance to sign Florian Wirtz, you do it. He’s a generational talent. Harvey, while very talented, is a step below that. Elliott leaving the club was sad enough, but understandable. What’s happened since then has been worse still. Villa don’t particularly dislike Elliott, but they can’t afford the obligation to buy that we put into Elliott’s loan deal. So they benched him, kept him away from the squad for months, just to save their millions. Even worse is that we clearly don’t want Elliott back, even with his career potentially hanging in the balance. From what I’ve read, we might be shipping him out to Charlotte FC. From a Premier League champion to MLS? He’s not over the hill, he’s my age! Not even close to his prime. From the leader of a U21 England squad that won a world championship in the summer, to MLS. Because Villa don’t want him, sure. But Liverpool very clearly don’t ever want Elliott back either. That’s disappointing.

There’s been a clear shift in how the academy is used since Klopp left. I think Elliott’s the poster boy for that. Klopp nurtured the young lad, gave him chances, allowed him to impress and to make mistakes. I think of how he was one of the driving forces in the kids group that won Klopp’s last trophy. McConnell’s the only one who’s managed to stick around. Jayden Danns has had back injuries. Stefan Bajcetic has suffered knee injuries. Bobby Clark’s gone. Lewis Koumas is doing well for himself on loan. Obviously the brilliant Caoimhin Kelleher in goal. All players who made their mark simply because they were given a chance. Klopp made it a point to develop the academy as a pathway to the first team again. It started with Trent, then Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott continued the trend. By the end of Klopp’s tenure, you had that whole group of young kids ready to make their mark.

Until they were all sold or loaned away. I understand teams aren’t built through their academies anymore. But I am puzzled as to why the academy door to the first team was shut as soon as Klopp left. Whereas we used to develop stars, now we just give up. Nunez? Can’t figure him out even though Klopp was well on the way to doing so. Diaz? Bin him, he was never as good as Mane. Academy kids? You don’t win with kids, and we have trophies to win. Oh yes, so many trophies we’re set to win this season. Quansah? He was bad for one half against Ipswich, he’s gotta go. Elliott? Doesn’t matter that he was once billed as the starboy, we can’t make room for a Liverpool fan who’d die for this team if he had to.

I’ll stop myself there before I sound hysterical. I hope you get the point though. As is the case with many of my ramblings, another more tangent point emerges while I’m trying to make one stick. Harvey Elliott was a special player for me, and it’s sad to see his career suffer away from the club that he loves, the club that I love. I can’t help but feel the club that I grew up watching no longer exists in the same way. Perhaps it’s because I’m still a sentimental young romantic who hasn’t gotten his heart broken enough times yet to become a stone cold cynic.

I don’t know if anyone else felt this, but the passion of the Klopp era made me think the club had a soul of its own. A soul that looked out for its own people, nurtured and developed them. It meant something to me when we won every single trophy with half the budget of City and Chelsea. That we turned a bunch of value signings into world beating superstars. Mane, Firmino and Salah are possibly the best forward line in the history of the Premier League. None of them were bought with that expectation. Andy Robertson is the best LB in Premier League history. He cost £8 million from a relegated Hull City team. It meant something to me to see the academy become a development path to the first team. To see Trent, Curtis and Harvey make it as established first team players. Kelleher, Quansah and Bradley as well. Especially Bradley, I earmarked him when he was 16 as a potential first team player. It meant something to me to see every player’s talent maximized. To see a player reach his final form, his peak with us. Not just the world beaters, but even guys like Origi or Shaqiri or Klavan or Oxlade-Chamberlain. They all had moments, sparks that could only be achieved in front of the best fans in the world.

I understand Liverpool’s sole purpose is to win trophies. I understand we’ve given ourselves a great chance to do so over the next number of years. A lot of what this club has done just feels….corporate and soulless. Yeah, buying the best talent at market rate ensures you get the best. It was more fun to develop players though. You got to enjoy the roller coaster ride rather than just get the candy at the end. Yeah, using the academy as a cash cow is probably more efficient, understanding most academy players don’t make it, let alone become superstars. I think the fans feel a little more connection when there’s a Scouser in the team though, right? The only one left is Curtis Jones. I love Curtis, don’t get me wrong. But it doesn’t look like any other Scousers will be allowed to walk onto Anfield anytime soon unless they’re a ball boy. “It means more” used to mean something. It meant more to win with Liverpool because of the way we did it. Klopp brought that back. Maybe my youth makes me concerned we’re losing the soul of the club. Kicking a Liverpool lifer to MLS, a kid with so much potential yet to be realized, because there’s just no more room at the inn. We used to make room for academy kids. I guess that’s just a fad from a time since past.

To be fair, we do still develop superstars. Ryan Gravenberch is a fine example. Hugo Ekitike is next in line. Even if it is a bit more infrequent, we do still have that quality, and that is the most important quality in building a team. By no means am I saying Liverpool aren’t in a bad spot. They’re going to be just fine in the long run. I’m just a bit saddened by the way they’re going about it, but I understand why they are. Maybe this whole thing was pointless, I dunno. Hopefully I’m not gone for a month again. Although school, work and potentially a new girlfriend might make that difficult. Love to all, my friends.