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Harry Wilson: The Liverpool Academy Winger Poised for a Resurgent 2016-17
- Updated: August 5, 2016
The life of a young footballer in the English top flight is unpredictable, as has been underlined so emphatically this summer by Manchester United’s £100 million pursuit of former academy product Paul Pogba, who left to join Juventus in 2012 after failing to agree terms on a contract at Old Trafford.
As reported by Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, Pogba is set to become the world’s most expensive footballer this month, just four years after leaving United on a free transfer.
It is this snap-judgement culture within Premier League academies that can make or break a young player’s career in a matter of months—and this was shown by the surprise departure of Jordan Rossiter from Liverpool this summer, with a player compared to Steven Gerrard by Robbie Fowler leaving for a pittance.
Rossiter joined Rangers on a long-term contract, with Liverpool receiving just £250,000 in compensation for their role in his development, highlighting the pitfalls of life as a youngster in the English youth system.
Academy Players to Leave Liverpool, Summer 2016
Jordan Rossiter → Rangers Jerome Sinclair → Watford Joao Carlos Teixeira → FC Porto Sergi Canos → Norwich City Jordon Ibe → Bournemouth Lawrence Vigoroux → Swindon Town Brad Smith → Bournemouth Daniel Trickett-Smith → Sacramento Republic Daniel Cleary → Birmingham City Samed Yesil, Ryan McLaughlin, Alex O’Hanlon, Will Marsh, Kristof Polgar → Released
One of Rossiter’s former Reds youth colleagues, Harry Wilson, looked set to follow him through the Anfield exit this summer, with his prospects dwindling following a miserable 2015/16 campaign—watching the likes of Sheyi Ojo move ahead of him in Jurgen Klopp’s first-team plans.
But heading into the new season, Wilson has reached an encouraging plateau, and the young Wales international is poised for a remarkable resurgence in 2016/17.
Born in Wrexham, Wilson joined Liverpool in 2005 at the age of eight and swiftly progressed through the ranks in the Reds’ academy.
After breaking into the under-18s in 2012/13, Wilson became a regular fixture of Neil Critchley’s side in 2013/14, showcasing his talents alongside the likes of Ojo and Rossiter as Liverpool’s new breed, providing a positive veneer to the first team’s sensational title challenge under Brendan Rodgers.
Speaking to The Redmen TV ahead of that campaign, Academy figureheads Rodolfo Borrell, Frank McParland and Alex Inglethorpe stressed the need to develop the club’s young British players, like Wilson, as the core of their squad:
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Soon after, Wilson caught national attention when he was handed his first appearance for the Wales senior side in a 1-1 draw with Belgium, in a move manager Chris Coleman suggested would “[cement] his future with Wales for the next 10 or 15 years.”
Naturally, a then-16-year-old Wilson becoming Wales’ youngest player provoked contrasting reactions, with senior stalwart Craig Bellamy telling reporters that he thought the winger was too young for the …
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