Which youngster is being tipped to break into the Liverpool first-team next under Andoni Iraola
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Andoni Iraola may have been Liverpool head coach for only a matter of months, but the Spaniard has already signalled his willingness to give chances to the club’s young players.Lewis Koumas, James McConnell and Trey Nyoni have all benefited from Iraola’s meritocratic policies, and the ascension of Koumas in particular should give hope to every talented teenager within the Liverpool academy.Koumas could play against Manchester City this Sunday, as doubt continues to shroud the involvement of Alexander Isak, and as he searches for options at centre-forward, Iraola could also consider Will Wright, who has now been tipped as the next youth team star to break into the first-team at Anfield. Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images Will Wright backed as the ‘next cab off the rank’Although he struggled to make a proper impression after being taken on the tour of the USA this pre-season, Wright has begun the season in excellent form, and is starting to look too good for the U21s.That continued with a mature display during Tuesday’s EFL Cup loss against Doncaster, in which Wright produced a stunning long-range effort which struck the crossbar.
“That’s the place he is in at the moment,” Liverpool U21s manager Rob Page said of the forward at full-time on Tuesday. “He is full of confidence and to even consider taking on that opportunity is something.”The 19-year-old also scored a magnificent solo goal against Rochdale in the same competition in September, with both matches being played against men, rather than youth teams.READ MORE: Liverpool’s chances of taking Manchester City’s 2013/14 Premier League title have been revealedIt should not come as a surprise then that, according to the Daily Mail, Wright is viewed as being the ‘next cab off the rank’ in terms of a first-team call-up.There is also a claim that insiders think 16-year-old Josh Abe ‘will go far,’ though the right winger is currently recovering from a shoulder injury sustained at the beginning of the season.Could Wright feature against Man City?Prior to Tuesday’s game against Doncaster, Wright had hit three goals in two matches for the U21s, taking his tally to six for the season.With Liverpool light on striker options, particularly if Isak cannot play against City, it would not be a surprise at all to see the former Salford City youngster on the bench this Sunday.Getting off it might be more difficult, but there is little question that Wright is closing in on a first senior appearance for the Reds.His progress may also be aided by the frustrating news that Jayden Danns has seemingly been handed another slight setback in his road to full availability.“He pulled up in training last week and felt something and wasn’t quite comfortable,” Page said this week.
“So we’re not going to take any chances, there’s no need at all.“He is all right, he has been training but we didn’t think it was a risk we wanted to take. He’s fit, and we thought it was better for him to have two training days rather than half-an-hour or 45 minutes in this game.”Wright, on the other hand, is loving playing at the moment, and if Isak is not ready to face City, the teenager should be full of confidence and ready to prove his backers right.