Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has sent a message to one his young stars after he emerged as a hero for England at the Under-17 World Cup.
Rhian Brewster, 17, ended the tournament as the top goalscorer with eight goals to his name, helping England to win the trophy in India.
Having now returned to England, he’ll hope that his performances in the prestigious competition will act as a springboard to help him launch his career in the senior Liverpool squad, but Klopp has some early advice for him as he joked about his impact at the tournament too.
“Rhian, congratulations from Liverpool,” he said, as reported by The Express. “You scored one or two or three? Only one? Congratulations, we are really proud.
“Our best regards here from Liverpool, have a nice party, but no alcohol. Have a nice party with Coca-Cola and Fanta or whatever. See you soon.”
Brewster scored eight goals and provided five assists in 19 appearances for the youth side last season, while he’s grabbed three in eight so far this year along with four assists.
Further, he’ll have benefited from playing in the UEFA Youth League to give him additional experience of playing on the European stage, and so all in all, it looks as though he has a bright future ahead of him for both club and country.
While Klopp joked and it’s good to see him acknowledge Brewster’s positive experience, as with the rest of the U17 England squad, it’s crucial now that the youngster gets his opportunities to continue his development by having a chance with the senior squad.
If he doesn’t, and the same goes for his teammates, then surely that will set them back and prevent them from improving on the raw quality that they’ve displayed over the last month.