Football

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp reveals pleasure of working with ‘cheeky as hell’ midfield talent

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp reveals pleasure of working with ‘cheeky as hell’ midfield talent

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says it is a ‘pleasure to work with’ his ‘cheeky as hell’ midfield talent Stefan Bajcetic.

The Spanish teenager scored in Liverpool’s 3-1 victory against Aston Villa on Boxing Day, just two minutes after coming off the bench.

It was the club’s first Premier League match back after the World Cup, with the win putting Liverpool five points off the top four in sixth place.

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the fifth minute, with Virgil van Dijk putting the away side 2-0 up before half-time.

Ollie Watkins pulled a goal back for the hosts on the hour mark, but Bajcetic popped up with the clinching goal not long before the full-time whistle.

Liverpool youngster ‘cheeky as hell’

Bajcetic appeared on the pitch at Villa Park as a 79th-minute substitute for captain Jordan Henderson, and made the scoreline 3-1 just two minutes later.

He has played just 189 minutes across his seven senior appearances for the Reds, with Klopp thoroughly enjoying working with the 18-year-old.

“He’s cheeky as hell and he is not worried about anything,” said Klopp, as reported by BBC Sport. “He just plays football and he can do that exceptionally well.

“He had a football-playing father, so the genes are there but also the attitude, awareness and match intelligence. It’s a big pleasure to work with these boys.”

Bajcetic enjoying rapid rise

Liverpool signed the youngster from his hometown club Celta Vigo last November, with Bajcetic signing his first professional Reds contract aged 17.

Able to play in both midfield and defence, the teenager has represented the club’s under -18s and under-23s. His father Srdan played international football for Serbia.

The midfielder became the club’s youngest-ever player in the Champions League after his appearance against Ajax in September’s group stage encounter.

And with his goal against Villa, he became Liverpool’s third-youngest goalscorer in the Premier League. He netted aged just 18 years and 65 days, behind only Michael Owen (17 years 143 days) and Raheem Sterling (17 years 317 days).

Moreover, he became the second youngest Spanish footballer to score in the Premier League, behind ex-Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas (17 years and 113 days).

Liverpool

Liverpool youngsters shining on big stage

Given both injuries and Klopp’s desire to give young players a chance, Bajcetic wasn’t the only teenager to feature against Villa.

Young winger Ben Doak came off the bench for Darwin Nunez a couple of minutes from time. Aged 17 years and 45 days, he became the youngest Scottish player in the competition’s history.

Harvey Elliott, 19, and Fabio Carvalho, 20, were also on the bench for the Boxing Day match, with the former coming on for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 67th minute.

Speaking of his young talents, Klopp said: “We know that we have to create a situation where these boys can help us – and they can help us – but for that we need to be stable. If we are stable, then they can play their role.

“Stefan’s an exceptional talent. He’s cheeky as hell and how he plays football is great. His attitude is outstanding.

“Ben as well, what a dribbler he is. It’s nice to bring them on.”


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