Trey Nyoni sat in the stands alongside the man who has seen every step of his development.
England Under-19s had just beaten Portugal 6-0 in Braga and Nyoni’s father was one of only a handful of parents who had stuck around to see it.
After a long international camp away from family and three Euros qualifiers, a few minutes in person to debrief the performance and look to the future were clearly well received by the midfielder, who was excellent on the day.
The hope back then, at the end of March, with Liverpool still in the FA Cup and Champions League, was that before the end of the campaign, Nyoni would get another opportunity to shine. Having not started a senior game in five months, he returned to Merseyside with a spring in his step after three Under-19 outings.
But the closing 10 games of the season would bring little joy, and instead it was fellow under-19 team-mate, Rio Ngumoha, who benefited from an end-of-season boost.
Nyoni with friend and team-mate Rio Ngumoha (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
While Ngumoha thrived as he made eight appearances, including three starts, before becoming the most talked-about player in a friendly for the England senior team against New Zealand before the World Cup, Nyoni was given just nine minutes of action, with seven of those arriving in the final game of the season.
His 14 appearances across the campaign were an improvement on the five outings he made the season before, but nowhere near enough to build any momentum. Apart from two starts in the Carabao Cup early in the season, Nyoni was largely restricted to late cameos in the closing minutes of games.
With Champions League qualification in the balance until the final game of the season, perhaps it was not a surprise that former head coach Arne Slot stuck with his senior players to get over the line, although the alternative view is that a refresh in midfield — when legs were clearly tiring — may have given the team a new lease of life.
A host of Championship clubs and multiple others across Europe contacted Liverpool to discuss a loan in January, but Nyoni was needed as cover.
Tyler Morton, the midfielder who moved to Lyon and enjoyed a stunning first season in France, fell into the same category a year earlier before he took the plunge and left Anfield after a couple of successful temporary moves.
It was expected that Nyoni would listen to loan offers this summer and wait for Liverpool’s guidance, but the situation has changed. No longer is a temporary move under consideration as he focuses on making an impact at Liverpool. The alternative of considering a new project elsewhere has also cooled in recent weeks after an impressive summer.
If there’s any player who has benefited from the pre-season period, it’s Nyoni. New head coach Andoni Iraola said after the U.S. tour, where the 19-year-old was the standout performer: “Even when he has one opponent quite close, he asks for that ball and he’s confident, he doesn’t rush. For me, that is very valuable.”
Nyoni has had an impressive pre-season (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP via Getty Images)
Iraola admires his playing style but whether that translates into more game time — which Nyoni now needs — remains to be seen. Other clubs had signalled they were willing to offer the platform for regular minutes, but his immediate future remains at Liverpool and the first half of this season will be crucial.
The context around Nyoni is also important as it helps explain the position he found himself in this summer.
Yes, he only recently turned 19, and it’s a lot to expect a young man to step up and control the midfield for Liverpool. As a player with a slight figure, he’s also had to work hard on building up his body to match his undeniable technical qualities.
But playing just 21 minutes in the Premier League last season was hardly a convincing pathway for a deeper run in the future. When Nyoni last met up with England Under-19s, he played in midfield alongside Harrison Armstrong and Chris Rigg, both of whom played more often for Everton and Sunderland last season.
Arsenal’s Max Dowman also played for longer across the campaign and he missed half of it through injury. Even Chelsea’s Jesse Derry, who has since joined Sporting CP on loan for the season, played more Premier League minutes.
In a short space of time, so much has been said about Nyoni, first by Jurgen Klopp, who gave him his debut after Liverpool signed him from Leicester City in 2023, then Slot, and of course those working behind the scenes. Now, though, it’s his time to shine, whether that’s for Liverpool or elsewhere.
That Iraola wants him to stick around is a good sign. He’s a confident, progressive passer who can sit in front of the defence and play an important role in the build-up of attacks. With Curtis Jones in discussions to leave for Inter, there’s an opportunity to move up the pecking order and spend more time on the pitch.
His experience of training with senior international team-mates for the past two years has also helped his progress and his steady rise is now ready for lift-off.
