Liverpool’s academy is undoubtedly probably the greatest manufacturing traces for high expertise throughout the nation. Within the Premier League period alone, they’ve produced some very good gamers, together with the likes of Steven Gerrard, who performed 710 instances in that well-known Crimson shirt, and Michael Owen, a Ballon d’Or winner in 2001.
These days, the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold are flying the academy flag within the first group. A youthful Reds aspect lifted the Carabao Cup final season, beating Chelsea within the closing as Jurgen Klopp received his closing trophy on the membership.
Sadly, not all gamers who come by means of the well-known Liverpool academy stay as much as the hype, and that’s actually the case for one striker as soon as in comparison with academy graduates Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush.
Liverpool’s subsequent Rush & Fowler
The participant in query right here is academy graduate Rhian Brewster. As soon as a Champions League winner with the Reds in 2018/19, he by no means actually managed to seek out his greatest type at Anfield and moved on from the membership in 2020.
Nevertheless, he was a participant for whom followers and pundits alike had a lot hope. Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer as soon as in contrast him to 2 all-time nice strikers, Fowler and Rush, explaining they’ve “bought an actual participant on our palms” again in 2019:
“You’ll be able to see bits of Rushy [Ian Rush] in him, the best way he runs, the best way he closes folks down. Additionally, bits of Robbie Fowler in his ending.”
There is no such thing as a doubt that the previous strikers are two of the most effective in Liverpool’s historical past. Wales worldwide Rush scored 346 objectives in all competitions throughout his two spells on the membership, with Fowler discovering the again of the web 183 instances and registering 50 assists in 369 appearances.
Sadly for Brewster, he couldn’t stay as much as such comparisons. Extremely, he performed simply 4 instances for the Reds’ first group, regardless of successful a Champions League medal. He by no means performed within the Premier League, nor did he get himself on the scoresheet for the membership.
The London-born attacker had an outstanding document within the Premier League 2, though it was not one thing he may switch to first-team degree for the Reds. He scored 13 objectives and grabbed ten assists in 28 video games for Liverpool’s academy.
Brewster document in PL2 |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Season |
Video games |
Objectives |
Assists |
Minutes |
2016/17 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
705 |
2017/18 |
11 |
5 |
7 |
830 |
2018/19 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
147 |
2019/20 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
747 |
Stats from Transfermarkt |
Regardless of his lack of first-team possibilities, he did present flashes of brilliance out on mortgage for Swansea Metropolis within the second half of the 2019/20 marketing campaign. The striker scored 11 objectives in 22 video games for the South Welsh outfit, which earned him a transfer to Sheffield United in the summertime of 2020.
First Impressions
What did pundits and followers alike take into consideration their new star signing once they arrived? Soccer FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ collection has every part you want.
Brewster’s document for Sheffield United
The Blades broke their membership document switch to signal Brewster from the Anfield outfit. He price £23.5m and joined the membership on a five-year deal. On the time, supervisor Chris Wilder known as him “one of many nation’s hottest properties”.
Nevertheless, he has not likely lived as much as expectations within the purple and white striped shirt of the Sheffield aspect. The 24-year-old has performed 87 instances, however has scored simply 5 objectives and registered two assists.
To interrupt that down additional, the striker has scored 4 instances within the Championship, though is but to seek out the again of the web this season. He has additionally bought himself on the scorehseet as soon as within the Carabao Cup. He hasn’t scored in 40 Premier League video games for the Blades to date, and so they now discover themselves within the second tier as soon as once more.
Frustratingly, it has now been simply over two years for the reason that former Liverpool man has scored in any competitors. His final purpose got here 740 days in the past, on the eighth of October 2022, in a 3-1 loss away to Stoke Metropolis.
It would actually be disappointing for Liverpool followers and Blades followers alike that Brewster has struggled to stay as much as the hype. Early accidents and an absence of first-team soccer at Anfield little doubt affected him.
Brewster shall be hoping he can rediscover his greatest type this season.
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