Gary Lineker has singled out one Liverpool youngster for praise after an unforgettable week for the player in question.
Within a week of making his senior Reds debut, Jayden Danns played a part in our Carabao Cup final success at Wembley and then scored twice in front of the Kop in the 3-0 FA Cup win over Southampton on Wednesday night.
The 18-year-old understandably described it as a ‘dream come true’ afterwards, and that interview – along with the teenager’s performance – struck a chord with the Match of the Day presenter.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said: “I saw Jayden Danns’ little post-match interview this morning on social media where he’s like ‘oh the best day of my life’…
“I mean, to score two goals – and I thought he did really well when he came on in the Carabao Cup Final as well, didn’t he, against Chelsea. I mean, brilliant.
“Klopp trusts them. You know, some people say ‘well, you know, he’s not going to take too many chances with his players because they’ve got so many injuries’, but still, to beat a side that has been going really well in the Championship by three goals to nil with basically a youth team, it’s pretty impressive.”
We can only imagine the buzz that Danns must’ve been feeling all week, from making his Liverpool debut to winning a cup final at Wembley to scoring his first two career goals in a matter of days.
He’s gone above and beyond in stepping up for his team in their hour of need amid a glut of injuries to senior players, putting himself in the frame for further first-team action even when the seasoned pros return.
The 18-year-old has an excellent platform on which to build, if he’s given more game-time by Jurgen Klopp over the coming weeks.
You can view Lineker’s comments on Danns below (from 17:40), via The Rest is Football on YouTube: