Why Harvey Elliott can become Liverpool’s own Phil Foden

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 6 May 2024 10:31 BST
• 4 min read

Liverpool may be entering a period of transition but the emergence of Harvey Elliott will give Jurgen Klopp the belief that he is leaving the Reds with their very own Phil Foden to lead them through the uncertainty.

Elliott starred in Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Tottenham, grabbing a goal and an assist in arguably one of his best performances for the club since his debut in 2019.

It is somewhat hard to believe that Elliott only just turned 21, given the fact that he has made over 100 appearances for Liverpool and it is perhaps only due to a serious injury that he is not further along in his development.

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Elliott broke his ankle in 2021, keeping him out for nearly five months at a time when he was showcasing just why Liverpool paid a record fee for a 16-year-old when they signed him from Fulham five years ago.

And, although he has taken the long way around, Elliott has been one of the best performers in 2024, with Kevin de Bruyne (14) and Rodri (9) the only Premier League players to post more assists than the Liverpool man in all competitions.

With three goals and eight assists in his last 20 appearances, Elliott is proving he can have a similar impact on Liverpool as Foden has had on Manchester City by being a young and creative talent to unlock defences to deliver for his club in their time of need.

Elliott on the right track for greatness

Being two years younger than Foden and having dealt with serious injury in his career, it would be unfair to suggest that Elliott is at the same level as his compatriot, particularly given the City star’s incredible step up this season.

But there are similarities in the duo’s playstyle, with both players offering creativity and technique on the ball, although Elliott has often featured in a deeper midfield role for Liverpool compared to Foden this season.

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However, according to SciSports, who use data-driven statistics to analyse a player, Elliott is playing at a similar level to Foden at his age and an eventual jump similar to the City man could see him emulate the England international’s progression.

Another player Elliott could be compared to is Florian Wirtz, with the 21-year-old German also flourishing after coming back from serious injury for Bayer Leverkusen.

Indeed, Wirtz and Elliott are the only midfielders in the top five leagues to rank in the 97th percentile and above for progressive carries and key passes this season.

With only nine of his 32 Premier League appearances this season being starts, Elliott certainly still has some way to go before he can truly be put in the same sentence as Foden but the Liverpool wonderkid has proven his fitness and is now displaying the ability to show he can eventually go right to the top in the post-Klopp era.