Liverpool have been good at creating a pathway for young players through the academy in recent times.

The Reds have developed their own talent brilliantly while also bolstering the ranks with talents signed from outside of the club.

This pathway has been helpful in convincing the likes of Rio Ngumoha to sign for the Liverpool academy, with Ngumoha infuriating Chelsea in joining the Reds over the summer.

The 16-year-old looks like a real talent, and there are plenty of exciting youngsters at Liverpool besides Ngumoha.

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But while the Reds’ track record has been exemplary over the past few years, it looks like they may have dropped the ball in letting one young starlet go.

16-year-old Marcus Neill has been making Liverpool regret letting him leave for Sunderland after hitting the ground running in the North East.

Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Neill is of course the son of former Blackburn and West Ham right-back Lucas.

Just like his father, Marcus spent time at Blackburn before his switch to Liverpool as a 10-year-old.

A forward, he then spent five years with the Reds before joining Sunderland in February.

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And although Liverpool will of course be pleased to see his development, they will also probably be watching what Neill has done at Sunderland with a tinge of regret.

As per the Sunderland Echo, the 16-year-old has been a sensation for the Black Cats’ youth sides this season.

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They report that Neill has 13 goal contributions across the age groups, with most of his six goals coming in the U18 side.

However, the youngster showed that he can step up and play well above his age group by scoring the winner for Sunderland’s U21s against Arsenal on Monday.

He looks like a real talent.

The fact that Sunderland were the club to step up and snatch Neill away from Liverpool at the start of the year should have sent alarm bells ringing at Anfield.

The Championship side have become notorious for giving young players a chance in the first-team over recent times.

ApperancesGoalsAssistsU18 Premier League955Premier League 2210Marcus Neill 24/25

Fellow teenager Chris Rigg has been linked with Liverpool, while they can count the likes of Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson as former academy graduates.

Of course, there could have been many reasons why Neill’s time at Liverpool came to an end, it could have solely been down to the player himself, even.

But when all is said and done, the only thing that will matter is that the Reds had the chance to nurture what looks like a top young talent and they let that slip away.

Time will tell, but this could prove to be a big error.
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