Joe Cole predicts ‘outstanding’ Liverpool star could get England call-up

Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has backed Harvey Elliott to earn an England call-up during the upcoming international break.

It would be a first senior call-up for the 19-year-old who has represented England at U15, U16, U17 and U21 levels and he may be a surprise inclusion for the upcoming games against Italy and Ukraine.

He has emerged as a key player for Jurgen Klopp this season playing the most games out of any outfield player and Cole, speaking on BT Sport ahead of Saturday’s early kick-off, believes that his first-team exposure and performances could be enough to receive a call from England manager Gareth Southgate.

“I think he’s an all-round midfielder,” said Cole. “As a teenager to be playing as many games as he has is outstanding and I think he’s one who goes under the radar, but certainly not for his manager. A lot of people don’t understand the quality he brings, like all midfielder under Jurgen Klopp you have to cover the ground and defend well and he does that.

“He doesn’t rest on his laurels and he always supports and he always plays forward. England gets announced next week, he won’t be far off it. He’s playing regularly for Liverpool,”

Klopp also spoke glowingly on the midfielder earlier in the week, as he called Elliott a ‘top player’: “He is a top player and he is really happy. He had to improve slightly defensively but offensively his contributions are extremely interesting for the football team in the position he plays.”

Elliott has scored five times and assisted twice across his 39 appearances so far this season and he’s been rewarded with 15 starts in the Premier League this campaign - a significant increase from the four starts he made last year in what was an injury-hit campaign. The younster started in Liverpool’s 1-0 loss with Bournemouth but struggled against the physicality of Jefferson Lerma and Phillip Billing and was brought off at half-time for Diogo Jota.