Liverpool made it 10 League Cup triumphs on Sunday when captain Virgil van Dijk nodded home from a near post Kostas Tsimikas corner, however, the story of the success goes way beyond two of the Reds’ more seasoned statesmen.
The cartel of academy graduates initially graced the substitutes bench at Wembley, only for Jayden Danns, Bobby Clark, Jarell Quansah and James McConnell to join Conor Bradley and Harvey Elliott as those hailing from the academy who featured in what Jürgen Klopp would go on to describe as his most ‘special’ cup victory.
The youthful look went beyond that as 18-year-old Lewis Koumas and 16-year-old Trey Nyoni both remained on the bench before joining in the celebrations as the AXA graduates gathered for an iconic photo with Ben Doak, Stefan Bajcetic and Trent Alexander-Arnold joining the crop of hometown talent.
Homegrown. ❤️???? pic.twitter.com/A8QMiNsliU
— Trent Alexander-Arnold (@TrentAA) February 25, 2024
However, for Danns, Koumas and Clark, their journey to this point has always been heavily influenced by a footballing past.
Neil Danns, Jason Koumas and Lee Clark made a combined 296 Premier League appearances between them and have been able to pass on their wisdom, experience and possibly talent to their offspring.
Clark Senior told The Times recently he was ‘blown away’ when he saw Liverpool’s plans within the youth system ahead of Bobby’s switch from Newcastle United where he himself made 260 outings.
Bobby has already made nine first-team appearances for Klopp’s side and featured prominently in pre-season, scoring a first goal for the club in the win over Leicester City in Singapore.
Following in the footsteps of his father as an attack-minded midfielder, Bobby proved his defensive acumen is a force to be reckoned with as the 19-year-old helped sure up the Reds’ midfield against a bought and paid-for Chelsea trio.
Speaking to The Athletic, Lee joked that he ‘spent 20 years trying to win a cup and he’s already done it’ – hopefully a sign of things to come for the England youth international.
VIRGIL VAN DIJK HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER!
Interestingly, Chester-born Koumas is forging his career as an attacker, unlike his father Jason who dazzled during lengthy spells at Tranmere Rovers, Wigan Athletic, Cardiff City and West Brom as a technically gifted midfielder who could also play on either wing.
Jason, capped 33 times by Wales, Lewis is yet to make his senior debut for Liverpool but does have four Wales Under 19 caps under his belt and 27 goals in just 43 appearances for the Reds’ youth sides.
Koumas Junior has enjoyed a stellar campaign thus far, including a remarkable hat-trick in a 7-1 demolition of Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup to set up a quarter-final meeting with Leeds United.
Albeit the teenager is yet to see first-team action, his involvement in occasions such as Sunday will act as invaluable experience for yet another hot prospect from the academy production line with a rich footballing bloodline.
“TRY DISALLOWING THAT ONE!!” VAN DIJK GOAL WINS THE LEAGUE CUP! | Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool
Finally, Jayden Danns, a youngster whose rise has been as rapid as his growth spurt.
When I spoke to his father Neil back in March 2023 we touched on Jayden’s development with the former Crustsl Palace and Tranmere Rovers midfielder remarking how his lad ‘just needed to keep his head down and work hard’…well it’s safe to say he’s done exactly that.
Joining the academy at the age of eight, the now physically commanding frontman caught the eye on his Liverpool bow against Luton Town in midweek and followed up that cameo with another impressive outing in the Wembley showpiece.
With 24 goals in 33 appearances this season for the Under 18s, Danns may be following in the footsteps of his dad in footballing terms, but stylistically compared to Neil’s 89 strikes in 606 appearances as a versatile midfielder, the two are worlds apart.
Speaking to The Athletic, Danns Senior said ‘I want him to live out his dreams’ – something he is already doing if his passionate rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone is anything to go by.
always gossiping ???? pic.twitter.com/07IUXcVGqS
— ???? (@766ers) February 26, 2024
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Beyond this trio, the future certainly appears to be very bright at Anfield and indeed Kirkby with a plethora of youngsters already making their mark on the senior setup and the likes of Trent Kone Doherty, Kieran Morrison, Amara Nallo and others also primed to make waves in the coming months.
As highlighted by Neil Danns and drilled into the prospects by Alex Inglethope and Co. the important thing now is to keep working hard and striving to improve every day as soon, there will be a whole new manager to impress.