Besian Idrizaj: The Liverpool striker from LASK who scored a hat-trick and died aged 22

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If you get a chance to go to Liverpool on trial then you have to take it," the young striker declared upon agreeing to a trial with the Reds in 2005.He originally joined the academy after impressing, placing himself tantalisingly close to sharing a football pitch with a squad of players he had witnessed claiming the Champions League trophy in Istanbul."You cannot ignore a trial with the reigning Champions League winners. I would even have swum across the channel just to take part," he added.Throughout his first season with Liverpool's youth setup, Idrizaj played alongside the likes of Jay Spearing and Jack Hobbs, both of whom would subsequently represent the Reds' senior side.

Idrizaj himself was brought into the first-team squad by Rafa Benitez during pre-season preparations in 2006 and 2007, netting a memorable hat-trick in a friendly fixture.After an outstanding performance alongside Craig Bellamy in a victory over Wrexham in 2006, the promising striker departed on loan to Luton, scoring his first senior competitive goal in English football.When he returned to Merseyside the following summer, he was handed a starting role in another match with Wrexham and within half an hour he had netted all three of Liverpool's goals."I still remember the day," his brother Qerim told The Athletic in 2020. (Image: Getty Images)"He called home afterwards and he said, 'Did you check the Liverpool website?' I said, 'No.

He appeared four times during the 2009/10 Championship season but then, just weeks following the end of the season, he suffered a suspected heart attack while sleeping and tragically died.He was 22 years old.Idrizaj left an enduring impact on his Swansea teammates during his short stint in south Wales."A lot of us still talk about him," goalkeeper Dorus de Vries said during the push for promotion under Brendan Rodgers the following season."He is still in our thoughts. I felt that he was really in the heart of the players and people," Rodgers explained.When Liverpool and LASK met in the Europa League during 2023, Besian Idrizaj was undeniably in the thoughts of many, both at Anfield and the Raiffeisen Arena.