The value of the silverware truly shines through when a seasoned figure like Jurgen Klopp describes Liverpool’s triumph in the Carabao Cup against Chelsea as “easily the most special trophy” of his career.
Because this victory was anything but ordinary for the German manager. While Liverpool claimed the trophy for an unprecedented 10th time, what truly set this moment apart was the absence of key players such as Salah, Trent, Darwin Nunez, Curtis Jones, or Alisson Becker from the squad list. In their place were a group of teenage talents, likely to return to their school routines the following day.
Against Chelsea’s formidable lineup, conventional wisdom would have predicted that Liverpool’s young talents might struggle.
However, they defied expectations by not only holding their ground but also exhibiting remarkable courage, composure, and resilience throughout the match, ultimately clinching a 1-0 victory against Pochettino’s side.
Let’s take a look at the 5 youth players who left their mark against Chelsea –
Conor Bradley
Conor Bradley was one of the young stars named in the starting lineup, with the 20-year-old starting at right-back position.
He impressed throughout his 72 minutes on the pitch before being substituted by Klopp for Bobby Clark. With injuries to fellow right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold this season, the Tyrone-born defender has relished his time on the big stage and he did it flawlessly.
Bradley’s journey is truly remarkable; joining Liverpool’s Northern Ireland development center at just nine years old, he has seamlessly transitioned into the right-back position. Born in July 2003, Bradley stands at 1.81 meters tall and favors his right foot.
The shirt number ‘84’ has since then always been with the Reds, apart from a brief loan spell in the third tier at Bolton Wanderers. Bradley impressed during his loan spell, making the most of his first taste of men’s football week in, week out.
And since then, Bradley has impressed all, including his manager. Speaking in a post-match conference, Klopp claimed, ‘He is incredible. The fans were already singing his name. He is flying and rightly so. He is working hard, and he is a great footballer.’
The Northern Ireland talent has secured his future with Liverpool FC by signing a new contract extension, set to expire on June 30, 2027.
Speaking about Conor Bradley’s FC 24 card details, he is rated 71 with a potential of 83, positioning him as a promising right-back with considerable development prospects. In FC 24, Bradley boasts 3 Skill moves and 3 Weak Foot. His work rates of High/High highlight his active involvement in both defensive and offensive phases, with particular emphasis on his mental aggression and stamina.
The right-back has a value of €4.3M and a wage of €24.5K in the game, and given his promising match against Chelsea, it is only sensible that there will be a rush for the player in the game.
Jarell Quansah
Jarell Quansah may indeed have a higher profile than the others, given his greater exposure to the first team, but it is worth remembering just how far he has come in such a short space of time.
Unfortunate injuries to Joel Matip opened the door for him at Liverpool this season, and he has certainly seized the opportunity. Interestingly, just a year ago, he was on loan in the third tier at Bristol Rovers, making 16 appearances in League One.
Quansah, who hails from Warrington, has been at the Academy since the age of five and has been a part of long-term projects under academy director Alex Inglethorpe and his staff. He signed his first professional deal with Liverpool FC in February 2021 and subsequently renewed his contract in May 2023.
Quansah has played 20 matches under Klopp, and despite being a young center-back, he has delivered quite the performance. With 1 goal and 3 assists, he has earned Klopp’s admiration as a player of the future.
Praising the player after the Reds saw off LASK 4-0 at Anfield in a Europa League fixture, Klopp admitted, ‘For us, it was absolutely perfect. Jarell played a super game.’
“There couldn’t be better news for the club, to be honest. Before this season, people told us we should buy a centre-half. We knew we had Jarell. Did we know that he would show up like this? Not exactly, but we were pretty hopeful. So the future’s bright. He is our own boy, calm on the ball, good in the challenges, quick, ruthless in the right moments.”
And there could not have been a better summarization of a player.
The 1.90 m center-back was born in January 2003. After captaining the Reds’ U18s team to the FA Youth Cup final in 2021, the jersey number ’78’ featured regularly for the U21s and in the UEFA Youth League before joining Bristol Rovers on loan in January 2023. The right-footed defender holds dual citizenship of England and Scotland, but he prefers to represent the English side.
Jarell Quansah’s FC 24 rating is similar to Conor Bradley at 71; however, his potential is slightly less at 82. In FC 24, Quansah has 2 Skill moves and 3 Weak Foot, he is Right-footed, and his work rates are Med/Med. He has a value of €3.8M and a wage of €33.5K.
However, he does not have a real face in-game, a feature that is bound to change after his performance in the final.
James McConnell
James McConnell, aged 19, joined Liverpool from Sunderland at 15, originally playing as an attacking midfielder. However, Klopp and Pep Lijnders took him under their wing last pre-season, shifting his position to a holding role after the departures of Fabinho and Henderson to Saudi Arabia.
He proved to be a fast learner, and his leadership qualities were recognized when he was given the under-21s’ captaincy by coach Barry Lewtas. He demonstrated these qualities again against Chelsea, coming on as a substitute with the game heading for extra time.
Hailing from Morpeth, England, born in September 2004 and measuring a 1.78 m height, McConnell has made three Premier League appearances under Klopp’s management this season. Additionally, he has featured once in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, as well as three appearances in European competitions. Despite this, McConnell has predominantly been a fixture in the Liverpool Under 21 squad.
Wearing the number 53 jersey at Liverpool, he signed his first professional contract with the Reds back in September 2021. However, he has committed his future to the club by putting pen to paper on a new deal at the AXA Training Centre very recently.
James McConnell FC 24 card is rated at 60. In FC 24, he has 2 Skill moves and 2 Weak Foot, he is Right-footed, and his work rates are High/Med. His in-game value is €625K, while his wage is just €4.4K. Sadly, he does not have a real face in-game. However, his potential is 76, but if his game against Chelsea is to be believed, that rating is bound to change soon.
Speaking to Liverpool in November, McConnell revealed his Liverpool mentors that guided him, stating, “I’m learning off all the players, learning from players like Dominik Szoboszlai, the younger ones like Curtis and Harvey [Elliott] who have given me great support and help.”
“Being around these top players, you are only going to learn and get better.”
And indeed, the match against Chelsea served as evidence of that.
Bobby Clark
Bobby Clark, acquired from Newcastle United in 2021, garnered significant interest from Football League clubs for a loan deal in January. However, Liverpool declined these offers, recognizing the need to retain him as a backup. Given the injuries that followed and his contributions in the match against the Blues, it proved to be a prudent decision.
Born in Newcastle on February 7, 2005, the 19-year-old midfielder operates in the center of the field. He made the transition to Liverpool from Newcastle in 2021 after having trained with Birmingham City from 2012 to 2014. Standing at 1.78 meters tall, Clark is a versatile attacker capable of playing across the forward line and in midfield. In his debut season with Liverpool’s under-18s, he showcased his scoring prowess by netting 13 goals.
The son of former Newcastle United midfielder Lee Clark has made seven of his nine senior appearances for Liverpool since the turn of the year, and on each occasion, he has stood out with his work both on and off the ball. Additionally, he has been a key figure in the club’s under-21 Academy teams, tallying 5 goals and 6 assists in 34 matches.
After showing promising development, Liverpool awarded the player his first professional contract for five years, announcing the deal shortly after his 17th birthday in 2022, in a transaction valued at £1.5 million.
Recently, there have been reports of the English international signing another long-term contract extension, although specific details of the agreement have not been disclosed. Nevertheless, according to Football Transfers, Clark’s transfer value currently ranges between €0.7 million and €1.2 million, with his father Lee Clark serving as his football agent up to now.
Bobby Clark holds a rating of 60 in FC 24 game, but with a potential reaching up to 79. Clark possesses 3 Skill moves and 3 Weak Foot, is Right-footed, and has Medium/Medium work rates. His standout attribute lies in his movement on the pitch.
But Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is more than content with his development, stating, ”The development of Bobby Clark… that’s really crazy I have to say.” words that would undoubtedly have made his father exceptionally proud.
Jayden Danns
Born on January 16, 2006, Jayden Danns is undoubtedly the youngest on the list. The son of former Crystal Palace and Bolton Wanderers midfielder Neil Danns, Jayden currently holds the title of the academy’s leading scorer for the season. Jayden has been part of the Kirkby academy since he was eight years old, having been discovered playing futsal locally.
At 18 years old, Liverpool-born Jayden Danns found himself leading the line at Wembley, despite having only made a brief senior debut off the bench against Luton Town four days earlier. However, Klopp could have expected a better performance from him. Danns played for 33 minutes at Wembley on Sunday afternoon. He came close to scoring a memorable header in extra time, but unfortunately, he couldn’t keep his effort down, and it was well saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic. Danns also showed a number of good touches and added much-needed energy to a depleted Liverpool side in the closing stages of the matchup.
However, not everything has been smooth sailing for the center forward. Danns endured nearly a year on the sidelines due to knee pain attributed to Osgood-Schlatter’s disease in his knees, a condition exacerbated by his rapid growth from 5ft 2ins (157cm) to 6ft. This ailment typically causes severe ‘growing pain’ in the knee, usually stemming from ‘repeated stress on the patellar tendon’. Despite this setback, Danns has shown impressive development over the course of this season and has notably developed physically.
Wearing shirt number 76, Jayden has accumulated 33 appearances for the under 18 academy, showcasing his prolific scoring ability with 24 goals and 4 assists. This season, he has notably excelled for the U18s, earning promotions to the U21s and eventually the first team. As his youth contract is due to expire in June 2024, it is highly anticipated that news of a contract extension will be announced imminently.
Given his recent standout performance, there’s a possibility that Jayden Danns might even earn his own FC 24 card in no time. However, it’s clear that he’ll need to continue working hard and proving himself to reach such heights.
But Jurgen Klopp is in awe of the England and Guyana citizen. Speaking to Liverpool after the final, Klopp said, “Jayden Danns has only recently joined us in first-team training. I loved him from the first second; really special.”
“And he comes on today, OK he played in the last game, but he can score two goals in a Carabao Cup final. It’s absolutely insane.”
Klopp now faces a welcome dilemma that any manager would relish: selecting from a pool of young talent. It’s remarkable that eight academy graduates earned a medal – and that’s without Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones.
It is impossible to envisage what a post-Jurgen Klopp Liverpool will look like, but their triumph over adversity at Wembley on Sunday will offer plenty of hope for the future
