Jordon Ibe, Raheem Sterling and Emre Can have all impressed massively…
SEE MORE: Fernando Torres miss – Chelsea star blazes over in pre-season friendly.
These five players have performed excellently for Liverpool so far this pre-season, and their form will not have gone unnoticed by manager Brendan Rodgers ahead of the 2014/15 campaign.
Sebastian Coates
A forgotten man at Liverpool, Coates has only made 12 Premier League appearances since signing in 2011, but following various lengthy spells on the sidelines with injury, the 23-year-old Uruguayan has shown signs of serious improvement this summer. A series of composed performances during friendlies earned direct praise from his manager.
“He was very unfortunate to have had a bad injury which put him out for a while, but he went away on loan last season, got himself fit again and he’s come back and done really well at pre-season,” said the Northern Irishman.
“He’s done very, very well. He’s a big boy but he can play football. Lovely touch, lovely technique but he can pass the ball, and he can be aggressive.”
With the likes of Mamadou Sakho, Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger, Kolo Toure, Tiago Ilori and new £20m signing Dejan Lovren competing for a starting spot though, Coates’ opportunities next term will likely be limited.
Jordon Ibe
The 18-year-old has been given plenty of playing time this summer, and showed his monstrous talent on more than one occasion. Ibe assisted three goals in his first two matches against Brondby and Preston, causing fullbacks countless problems with his phenomenal pace and direct running style. He’s exactly one year younger than teammate Raheem Sterling, and will hope to enjoy the same kind of meteoric rise as the England international.
Raheem Sterling
Arguably the best teenager in world football, Sterling keeps getting better and better every time he steps onto the pitch. In two 45 minute cameos, Sterling tore Manchester City and then AC Milan apart in friendlies in America. He bagged a superb goal verses City, and had another ruled out, having already scored against Olympiacos previously. He’s showing right now that he has all the attributes to develop into a truly world-class performer.
Emre Can
The new summer signing has been a practical ever present this pre-season, and provided a consistently powerful presence in the centre of the park. He’s extremely strong, and his physicality has boosted Liverpool’s midfield. At 20-years-old, he’s far from reached his best level yet, and Reds fans will be delighted by the start he’s made to his Anfield career.
Suso
The young Spaniard spent the past season on loan at Almeria, but has returned to Liverpool ahead of next season, and he’s shown the fans exactly what he can offer the side. Mainly deployed on the right, Suso’s scored two goals, including a beautiful curler against Preston. He’ll do well to earn game time this season, with the likes of Coutinho, Raheem Sterling and Lazar Markovic competing for attacking midfield spots – but his recent form won’t have done his chances any harm whatsoever.
