How 'silent' Nyoni is delivering on Liverpool expectations this summer
The 19-year-old was always expected to get a chance in this pre-season, and is doing a good job of carving out a first-team spot for himself.
Coming into this pre-season, the feeling internally at Liverpool was that Trey Nyoni held his fate entirely in his own hands.
In the latter part of last season, Arne Slot had privately intimated that the midfielder was pushing himself into contention for starts with his performances in training, but the Reds’ difficult situation made that impossible to act on.
However, as far as the Dutchman was concerned, it was no longer a question of whether Nyoni lacked readiness or quality, but only if he possessed the temperament to deal with such a step up.
That is because the physical improvements the teenager had made meant he was considered ready for senior football, teeing up a chance to stake his claim once a tricky campaign was out of the way.
And, though it is ultimately happening under a different head coach, Nyoni is not only getting that opportunity, but grasping it with both hands.
The 19-year-old has been among the standout performers in the first two games of Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States, catching the eye by snapping into tackles while using the ball both efficiently and ambitiously.
Helpfully, he seems tailor made for the style of football being implemented by Andoni Iraola, which makes the most of his knack for pinching possession and then looking to be as vertical as possible in his passing.
The latest show of those skills, which came in Wednesday’s win over Wrexham, had the new head coach waxing lyrical post-match.
Asked about Nyoni, he said: “Trey is very good on the ball, very calm, he reads the situations well. We’re forcing him in the work without the ball, in the press, and he is absolutely doing very well. I think the timings of the jumps are very good.
“He is always confident on the ball so we encourage him. Sometimes even if he loses the ball, ‘Try to find the No.10, try to find the No.9, even balls in behind, look a little bit further’ because he can do it, because he is so good.”
Clearly, Nyoni will have to keep this form up, but he has a real chance to force his way into the manager’s plans given the current uncertainty around so many key midfield figures.
Curtis Jones’ future remains unresolved with just one year remaining on his deal and Inter Milan keen, while Alexis Mac Allister is not considered to be untouchable internally after a poor season last time.
And so there is potential for Nyoni to ensure that the next step of his career comes at Anfield this season, rather than out on loan.
