Harvey Elliott has expressed his readiness for a “second chance” at Liverpool, aiming to rediscover his enjoyment for football after a challenging loan period at Aston Villa. Elliott returned to Merseyside earlier than anticipated this summer and has participated in both of Liverpool’s pre-season matches under new manager Andoni Iraola.
Elliott joined Villa last summer on a season-long loan agreement. A clause in the deal stipulated that Villa would be obligated to sign him for a reported £35m if he made 10 appearances. However, Villa opted not to trigger this option early in the season, resulting in Elliott playing only nine games and a total of 277 minutes. The situation was described by Villa manager Unai Emery as “embarrassing for everyone involved.”
Reflecting on a challenging loan
Reflecting on his time at Villa, Elliott stated, “I wanted to go and explore something, come out of my comfort zone and do something I thought personally that would take me on as a player again. But unfortunately it didn’t work out.” He added, “Mentally, it was a very tough one, it was a learning curve.” Despite the difficulties, Elliott mentioned he has “no hard feelings” towards Villa, noting that they treated him well. He also highlighted that he was able to achieve something at the end of the season, participating in a “historical moment for the club” by winning the Europa League with Villa.
Elliott’s comments came after Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Wrexham in a pre-season friendly held in New York. He views his return to Liverpool as a fresh opportunity, especially with the arrival of Iraola and new coaching staff. “Now I’m here and it’s kind of a second chance, if you want to call it. Especially with the gaffer and new coaching staff coming in, it’s another chance to impress and hopefully get in their good books,” Elliott said.
Elliott developed through Fulham’s academy and made his Premier League debut at the age of 16 before joining Liverpool in 2019. He played regularly under former manager Jurgen Klopp. His loan to Villa followed a season where he made 18 Premier League appearances for Liverpool.
Uncertain future and injury update
While Elliott is focused on impressing his new manager, he remains uncertain about his long-term future at Liverpool. He plans to discuss this with Iraola later in the season. “Right now, I’m just thinking about making sure I’m physically and mentally 100%, and trying to impress on the pitch,” he explained. “I think when it comes to the right time of asking him [Iraola], that’s when I’ll go and ask.”
Elliott emphasised his happiness to be back at the club, stating, “I’m really happy to be back. Since the first day I walked through the door at training, I had a big beaming smile on my face. I’m wearing this strip again and putting this shirt on, and I just want to be free, and play as much as I can, and just enjoy it, because sometimes I don’t feel like I do it enough. Playing at Liverpool, there’s no better feeling.”
In other team news, Joe Gomez is set to miss the beginning of the Premier League season. Iraola confirmed that the Liverpool centre-back sustained a muscle injury during a 4-2 victory against Sunderland. Speaking in Chicago, Iraola indicated that Gomez would be out for “some weeks,” estimating a recovery period of “normally one month.” He added that it would be “impossible to have him for the start of the season.”
Gomez is currently with the squad in Chicago. With Giovanni Leoni still sidelined and Virgil van Dijk not on the pre-season tour, Liverpool has had to rely on younger centre-backs. Iraola noted the team is “pretty thin in the centre-back position.” He mentioned that Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe, both 18, have been playing in that role. Luke Chambers also played there despite not being a natural centre-back. Jeremy Jacquet is expected to make his debut when Liverpool faces Leeds in Chicago on Sunday.
Iraola expressed satisfaction with the composure and solidity shown by the young centre-backs in matches against Sunderland and Wrexham.
Source: bbc.co.uk