Liverpool youngster Kieran Morrison was a standout at under-18s level last season, earning him an early chance to attract Arne Slot‘s attention and now a place at the U19 Euros.
A versatile, left-footed attacking midfielder, Morrison, 17, joined Liverpool as an U14 player and has impressively moved up the ranks at the club’s academy.
He played the majority of last season with the U18s but did make appearances for the U21s, with that transition expected to become full-time in the coming season.
Morrison had opportunities to train with the first team last season and was spotted taking part in the early pre-season sessions under Slot and Co. this summer.
But his time working with the head coach has been cut short, for now, after earning a call-up to represent Northern Ireland at this summer’s U19 Euros.
The final 20-man squad was announced on Thursday, and Morrison leads a six-man midfield group for the upcoming tournament, which takes place from July 15 to 28.
It is a late call-up for Morrison, who was only in pre-season training with the senior side last Sunday, but now his focus will swiftly turn to competitive international action.
The tournament is being held in Northern Ireland, and they are in Group A and will meet Ukraine (July 15), Italy (July 18) and Norway (July 21).
Morrison has already been capped at U19 level, but this will be his first experience at an international tournament.
Who is the 17-year-old?
Morrison was spotted by Bolton Wanderers as a six-year-old and later spent eight years at Man United before joining Liverpool.
He predominantly played on the right wing last season but is expected to develop into a No. 8, with areas for development already noted by his coaches.
Under-18s coach Marc Bridge-Wilkinson was full of praise for the 17-year-old in May but kept his feet on the ground by saying it was only an “OK” campaign.
“Kieran has done OK,” he said. “He has definitely scored and created some wonderful goals across the course of the season but he still has an awful lot to do and he knows that.
“He has still got to learn to put in a performance over the course of the 90 minutes, and I’m sure he will continue to do that and continue to improve.
“He has had a real positive performance this season, and now we are just looking to try to help him improve further.”