Harvey Elliott may have been on the pitch for less than 10 minutes for Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Fulham on Wednesday night, but that was still time enough for him to earn an instinctive hug from his manager for one crucial moment.
The Reds clung on for a nervy victory over the 20-year-old’s former club at Anfield, the fifth successive game in which they secured all three points as they continue to keep Newcastle and Manchester United in third and fourth on their toes.
In a piece for the Liverpool Echo, Paul Gorst summarised a few moments before and during the game which may have been missed by the TV cameras.
One of those concerned Elliott, with the journalist explaining: “As Liverpool were attempting to keep the ball as far away from their goal as possible in the final throes, a mistake from Jordan Henderson handed possession back to Fulham.
“Thinking Harvey Elliott was directly behind him, his rolled back heel was quickly snaffled by Fulham who tried to break near the halfway line through Manor Solomon.
“Instead, Elliott launched himself into a tackle to concede only a harmless throw in near the touchline, which left Klopp indebted to the youngster.
“Before Fulham could take the throw, the Reds manager smothered Elliott with a quick hug, and a pat on the back for his efforts. Klopp was clearly delighted with the contribution of his second-half substitute.”
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The young midfielder was clearly unruffled by the taunts of the travelling supporters who heckled him over his move from Craven Cottage to Anfield four years ago.
His immaculately-timed challenge on Solomon was indeed a hugely important intervention as Liverpool nervously saw out the final few minutes to secure victory, and his overall contribution throughout his brief time on the pitch was impressive.
As per Sofascore, Elliott completed seven out of nine passes and won two of his three duels after coming on in the 84th minute, a solid cameo which may just put him in the manager’s thoughts for a start against Brentford on Saturday.
Other Reds players will get the headlines from last night, but the 20-year-old can feel very pleased with what he contributed during his short appearance, especially the timely tackle to snuff out that late Fulham attack.