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Liverpool underwent their first pre-season this year with Arne Slot, and this summer proved to be a successful one for the Dutch coach.

Touring the United States, the Reds went undefeated in America, with the likes of Conor Bradley impressing for Liverpool as a number of youngsters gained valuable minutes in friendlies against the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United.

With Jarell Quansah in awe of Liverpool wonderkid Trey Nyoni during the summer, many youngsters on the books at Anfield put themselves in the spotlight for the season, though Slot is yet to unleash anyone due to a lack of major injuries.

Yet one Liverpool talent has now said he won praise from Slot directly.

Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Luca Stephenson revealed that Slot personally told him that he was impressed with his performances in pre-season, with the defender featuring against Arsenal in Philadelphia.

Stephenson said he loved pre-season with Liverpool as the fullback was eventually loaned out to Dundee United for the season, where the youngster has been a regular for the Scottish side since joining for the year.

And a good theory could be that Stephenson won the move because of his performances in pre-season, where Slot was impressed with what the saw from the former AFC Barrow loanee this summer in America.

Stephenson said: “I spoke to the manager when we were out in America.

He said he’d been impressed by me and spoke about last season’s loan and what the level was like there.

He was really good with me.”

Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

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A versatile midfielder-turned-fullback, Stephenson’s career has been an interesting one already given how many positions the youngster can already play, with the 21-year-old still waiting for his official Liverpool debut.

Yet as the stats below show, Stephenson has impressed at Dundee this season, with the Liverpool academy graduate playing primarily as a right-wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation for the Terrors.

Luca Stephenson’s Dundee United statsGames playedGoalsAssistsScottish Premiership511Scottish League Cup201Total712

Indeed, a good season in the Scottish Premiership coupled with approval already from Slot could lead to Stephenson breaking into Liverpool’s senior team next year, and the 21-year-old could find himself as the next youngster to make a name for himself with the Reds’ senior team.

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