While the future of boyhood Liverpool supporter Trent Alexander-Arnold has become a headline topic this season, the rise of another in Jayden Danns remains a beguiling subplot.
By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com
There is as yet no resolution when it comes to Alexander-Arnold‘s future at Anfield – whether he will sign a new contract or leave for Real Madrid in the summer – and the emotional pull to this story is undoubtedly magnified by his local-lad status.
Unlike with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, there is a stronger sense of ownership among supporters when it comes to one of their own; which works twofold, clearly making the decision tougher for the player himself.
For Liverpool supporters, the sight of a Scouser in a red shirt, playing week in, week out at Anfield and beyond is the pinnacle. Like Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones today, there were Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher before them.
That makes the chance of another product of Merseyside, 19-year-old striker Danns, establishing himself as part of Arne Slot‘s first team all the more appealing.
Part of the club since he was eight years old, Danns first emerged in the senior setup at the start of 2024, having produced an undeniably emphatic run of form as part of Liverpool under-18s and later the under-21s.
Called into first-team training under Jürgen Klopp, he made his debut against Luton in the Premier League one midweek, came off the bench against Chelsea at the weekend and then scored a brace against Southampton in the FA Cup three days later.
“It’s a dream come true, I’ve supported the club since birth so to come on and score at the Kop end was unreal, it doesn’t feel real to me, it feels like I’m in a movie,” was his reaction after that 3-0 victory at Anfield.
Asked about how his father, former Crystal Palace, Leicester and Bolton midfielder Neil Danns – who was once part of the Liverpool academy himself – would have felt, he said: “Last time when I made my debut he was crying so I don’t know what he’s going to be doing now.
“He’s in the stands watching and so is my mum, brother, sister and nan. It’s unbelievable.”
Those words sum up exactly what playing for Liverpool means for a local boy like Danns, and that sheer affection acts as a driving force for players, willing to go the extra mile for the club.
That showed, again, with an influential cameo against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup earlier this month, with Danns coming away with his third goal in just 100 minutes for Liverpool’s first team – one every 33.3 minutes on average.
Brought on for 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha with 18 minutes left of normal time and the Reds 2-0 up, the teenager produced another impactful cameo as he won the ball in midfield, surged up the pitch and played in Federico Chiesa for a big chance in front of goal.
Chiesa’s effort was palmed out by goalkeeper Billy Crellin, but Danns had followed his pass up and was on hand for a first-time finish that put the previous 76 minutes from Darwin Núñez to shame.
That there were 10 months and only three more substitute appearances between that brace against Southampton and Danns’ latest goal highlights the difficulty he has faced, missing five months with a back injury aggravated at the start of pre-season, but also that his trajectory has not been affected.
“I’m young. There’s still a lot more to do, and hopefully a lot more I can do. So, yeah, looking forward to it,” he reflected after the 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley.
“Obviously, the manager’s put faith in me today and I’m grateful for it, to be honest. I scored and I mean, like I said, I’m really grateful for the opportunity he’s given me. Hopefully, I can do even more if he gives me more opportunities.”
It remains to be seen whether those opportunities will come this season, with Slot coy on the subject of a January loan move as the likes of Plymouth, Derby and Cardiff circle, but there is a strong case to argue that Danns should in fact stay.
His development may accelerate if given the chance of regular first-team football in the Championship, but the No. 76 has already shown that he is capable of fitting in comfortably among Liverpool’s senior side.
He has taken inspiration from Roberto Firmino in the past, but there are also elements of Harry Kane to his game; he is able to operate as a classic No. 9 or a deep-dropping nine-and-a-half, as evidenced by that goal against Accrington Stanley.
There is an industry to his game along with a remarkably silky touch and the ability to cover ground quickly with the ball at his feet, while his finishing ability is undoubted, having translated from the academy to the first-team stage.
Danns already looks better suited to the style employed by Liverpool’s new head coach than another of Slot’s strikers, with Núñez having struggled so far to prove himself in a system which benefits from a more rounded option up front.
There is a growing feeling that Liverpool could and should cut their losses on Núñez at the end of the season, which is only compounded by the emergence of the ideal new No. 9 project for Slot in Danns.
“He will always, like the other academy players, give all he has. James McConnell is also a perfect example of that,” the head coach explained after the FA Cup win.
“If that is your mentality, you can definitely get the most of your potential. That is what’s going to happen with him.”
It is still a long road ahead for a player who only turned 19 on Thursday, with Slot himself stressing that he “probably needs some time to find out if he in the end will be a starter for us.”
But Danns has already shown strong signs that he can be the next Scouser in our team.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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