TEENAGER Kaide Gordon is showing Liverpool fans why the club committed £3million on him.
The exciting youngster made his debut for the Reds in the EFL Cup, playing 90 minutes in a 3-0 win over Norwich City at Carrow Road.
Gordon, who turns 17 next month, became the fifth youngest player in Liverpool’s history.
After the game, his manager Jurgen Klopp hailed the talented teen at the final whistle.
He said: “He’s good. A lot of things to improve, a lot of things to settle, a lot of things to learn but there’s a lot of things already there.
“We are really happy to have him around and we will treat him carefully, let me say it like this.
“But I am really happy that he is here, he is a big talent.”
And the German boss even let slip how modest Gordon thanked him for a chance at the end of the match.
Klopp revealed: “The first thing Kaide said to me after the game, when I wanted to say ‘congratulations’, he said to me, ‘Thank you!’
“I said, ‘Nothing to thank me for, you deserved it.’”
STARTED AT DERBY
Before Gordon could realise his Anfield dream, he was a eight-year-old at Derby excelling for their boys’ teams.
Blessed with skill and pace beyond his years, he was propelled through the ranks.
By 14, he was playing for The Rams’ U16 side.
Two years later, coaches behind the scenes were calling him ‘the best 16-year-old in the country’.
In 2020, after starring with the U18s, he was awarded the club’s academy player of the season.
“Kaide was the most exciting and creative player throughout the year and has shown a real improvement both in and out of possession, but we believe there is more to come too,” academy director Darren Wassall said.
ROONEY IMPRESSED
Derby’s best kept secret wasn’t a secret anymore, as he made his senior debut for County against Birmingham City as a sub in a 4-0 win.
It was a testament to his attitude, as well as his ability, that he was given his opportunity by his former boss Wayne Rooney, albeit a brief three-minute cameo in the final moments at St Andrew’s.
“I brought Kaide up with the first-team initially to train with us for a week to see how he reacted to it, and he was one of the best trainers,” Rooney revealed after he handed Gordon his bow.
“I kept him with us for a couple of weeks and he’s been training at the same level, if not to a better level to a lot of the other first-team players.
“As I said to the players: if you train hard and train well, I will give you your chance.”
Then, Liverpool began to circle around the impressive kid.
“Kaide is a fantastic player and he has got a lot of potential,” Rooney responded to reports linking Gordon with a move away from the club.
“Of course there will be interest in Kaide because he is a fantastic player, so we expect there to be interest in him.”
LIVERPOOL MOVE
In February, the Reds made their move for Gordon, beating Manchester United to a deal that could be worth £3million with add-ons.
Already, he has blossomed at Melwood and was recommended to Klopp by Liverpool’s assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders as a potential starter against Norwich.
Lijnders said: “He is what you see a lot with these kind of wingers – they can outplay, they can combine – but he has a goal in him.
“And he has this natural ability to be in the box between the goalposts to score, even when the cross comes from the opposite side, for example. Not many talents have that.”
While training with the first team, Gordon has also been taken under the wing of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Lijnders added: “He is a typical Liverpool Football Club winger, in my opinion, because he has goals, he has speed. We really like him and we are really happy he is with us.”
It seems that Anfield could be ready for a new hero.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
