Jurgen Klopp assessing 18-year-old midfielder who has gone under Liverpool radar
James McConnell hasn't been one to waste time during his fledgling Liverpool career. So there should have been no surprise at the teenage midfielder being given first-team recognition this summer.
McConnell is among the group of youngsters currently being put through their paces alongside established colleagues having received the call from Jurgen Klopp for the pre-season training camp in Germany.
The 18-year-old may not have had the senior exposure of the likes of Bobby Clark, Ben Doak and Melkamu Frauendorf, the family football heritage of Lewis Koumas nor have commanded the kind of fee that saw Calum Scanlon first move to Liverpool.
But seasoned Academy observers have long acknowledged the potential of the all-action, attack-minded McConnell ever since he broke into the under-18s side as a 16-year-old having arrived at Kirkby at U15 level from Sunderland.
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His calling card was a fine strike on his first U18 Premier League North start that helped earn a 2-1 win at Stoke City in February 2021. And the following 2021/21 season when, under the tutelage of U18s coach Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, he became a regular at the level, his progress recognised by signing a first professional contract a few weeks after turning 17 in September 2021.
It was also during that campaign that he first demonstrated his versatility, playing in a variety of positions in midfield ranging from attacking to defensive roles. He even popped up on the left, from where he scored in the 4-0 derby win over Everton U18s.
Last season, though, was when McConnell truly began to shine, starting the campaign as a
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