Liverpool Young Stars Impress On Opening Day, Nigerian Messi & Exciting Defender Miss Out

Two players of Nigerian descent Bobby Adekanye and promising defender Emeka Obi were not involved for the Liverpool U23 and U18 squads in their first games of the new season.

Obi, who joined the Reds from Bury in 2016, had been tipped to make his competitive debut for Steven Gerrard's Liverpool U18s, but was not named in the match day squad for the trip to Derby County.

Liverpool U18s played out a 1-1 draw with The Rams at Moor Farm Training Centre, with Liam Coyle breaking the deadlock for the visitors four minutes before halftime.

In the Premier League 2, Liverpool Reserves recorded an impressive 2-0 win at Swansea City courtesy of goals from Danny Ings and Yan Dhanda.

Adekanye sparkled for the U23s in pre-season and will make his competitive bow for the squad in the coming weeks, as he has promoted from the U18s.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel