The six-time UEFA Champions League winners won their 19th league title in 2019-20. They were troubled by a lengthy injury list the following season, but are competing on all fronts this campaign with an almost fully fit squad.
The city of Merseyside is known for its working-class nature. For fans who share such a deep bond with the club, there’s nothing like it when a local lad comes through the ranks. Needless to say, the Premier League giants have had their fair share of talented youngsters.
Liverpool have developed some serious footballers over the years
From Steven Gerrard and Robbie Fowler to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harvey Elliot, there has never been a dearth of wonder kids at Anfield. Quite a few of them have become club legends as well, much to the delight of the Kop.
With that being said, let’s take a look at the five youngest goalscorers in Liverpool history,
#5 Ki-Jana Hoever (17y 8m 7d)
Ki-Jana Hoever, the only defender on this list, scored his first and only goal for Liverpool in September 2019. In fact, that remains his only goal in senior football till date. The Dutchman came through the ranks alongside fellow countryman Sepp van den Berg.
With Virgil van Dijk providing incredible security in central defense, the Anfield faithful believed that Hoever and van den Berg would be able to shine alongside him. However, that hasn’t been the case.
While van den Berg is out on loan at Preston, Hoever joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020. His departure was around the same time Diogo Jota switched Molineux for Anfield.
Hoever hasn’t been able to tie down his spot at Wolves, making just 23 appearances in 18 months. It has to be noted that the right-back is still only 20-years-old, meaning a rise in prominence is still possible. The former Ajax man is yet to debut for the senior side at the national level.
#4 Jordan Rossiter (17y 5m 30d)
Jordan Rossiter managed to score one goal in his five appearances for boyhood club Liverpool. After coming through the ranks at Melwood, Rossiter was seen as the “next Steven Gerrard”, a tag that has been attached to several young English midfielders.
Although Rossiter was promising at youth level, he couldn’t carry over his excellence in the top-flight. As a result, the Scouser joined Rangers in 2016, still only aged 19. He then endured a couple of loan spells at Bury and Fleetwood Town before the latter signed him permanently in 2020.
At 24, Rossiter is still plying his trade at League One side Fleetwood. It is safe to say that the once distinguished academy graduate is now a forgotten figure at the club. Hopefully, he can get his career back on track and compete at the level many thought him to be capable of.
#3 Michael Owen (17y 4m 22d)
Michael Owen is undoubtedly one of the greatest players produced by Liverpool. A serial goal scorer during his prime, Owen was the last Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or. In fact, he is the only Liverpool player ever to achieve this prestigious accolade, winning the award in 2001.
Unlike the previous players on this list, Owen just went from strength to strength after scoring his first goal for the Merseyside-based club. The prodigy scored 158 times in 297 appearances for the Reds.
Owen was a mere 22 years of age when he won the Ballon d’Or.
He was adored across the streets of Merseyside. However, the desire to play at a bigger club, alongside better players, saw him move to Real Madrid. Owen’s individual performances took a hit, and the footballer-turned-commentator could never score consistently due to injuries after his spell at Anfield.
#2 Kaide Gordon (17y 3m 4d)
Kaide Gordon is the latest among the prodigies to score a goal for Liverpool. The right-winger scored a goal in the Reds’ FA Cup third-round win over Shrewsbury Town this season. The Derby-born footballer has primarily featured for the club’s youth sides but is showing significant signs of growth.
Gordon is among a host of gifted attacking players at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal, including Harvey Elliot and Mateusz Musialowski. The trio are all under the age of 19 and can save the club a fair chunk of their transfer budget if they can transform into first-team quality players.
Due to Mohamed Salah’s reluctance to take a matchday off, Gordon has seen only limited chances at Anfield so far. Despite this, Klopp has found a way to give the youngster a taste of the Premier League and domestic cup competitions in the ongoing season.
#1 Ben Woodburn (17y 1m 14d)
Ben Woodburn scored his first goal for the Reds in November 2016. By netting against Leeds United in the Carabao Cup, he broke Michael Owen’s 20-year-old record of being the club’s youngest ever goalscorer. The Welshman was also one of the youngest ever to feature for the Liverpool senior squad.
After impressing fans and critics, he was touted as one of the players to watch out for in 2017. However, things went south for the talented midfielder as he wasn’t able to maintain consistency at the top level. He subsequently became a journeyman of sorts, constantly being shipped out on loan.
Woodburn is still on Liverpool’s books and is currently on loan at Scottish side Hearts of Midlothian. Although he is only 22, it is hard to see him break into the current Reds side.
The Welsh international has also played 11 times for his national team, but only twice since 2018.
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