Liverpool legend makes ‘shining light’ admission about Stefan Bajcetic

Liverpool legend John Barnes has praised the debut season from Stefan Bajcetic, claiming the 18-year-old has been a ‘shining light’ in an otherwise disappointing season overall.

Whilst the Reds endured a difficult season, Bajcetic’s mid-season emergence was a huge plus for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool. Previously featuring for the U18 and U21 sides, he was thrust into first-team action after only making a few cameo appearances following a poor run of form from some of their most established midfielders. Playing in both Fabinho and Thiago’s position, he proved he is able to mix it at the top-level, even at 18, and it seems Liverpool have unearthed a gem for the future.

Speaking exclusively to MyBettingSites, the former midfielder praised the young Spaniard for his maturity and ability to perform in a Liverpool side that was seriously struggling at the half-way point of the season.

He said: “Gakpo, Nunez, they won’t be making big steps forward. They’re already in the team. Harvey Elliott has been thereabouts but I think Stefan Bajcetic is one I’m looking forward to seeing because before his injury he was a shining light in a season that wasn’t going particularly well.

“Hopefully he hits the ground running when he’s back. Of course we have Mac Allister and maybe we’ll make another signing but I think Bajcetic is the one because the others like Nunez and Gakpo are already in the team and they’ve cost a lot of money and they’re not really ‘youngsters’ really. And they’re internationals. The team wasn’t playing well and was inconsistent but Bajcetic was one of the consistent ones.

“What you always want is youngsters coming into a team that’s playing well. But youngsters coming into a team that isn’t consistently playing well is hard but he was one of the more consistent ones. So, his maturity in a situation whereby youngsters would normally suffer was very impressive.”

Unfortunately for Bajcetic, he suffered a tear in his abductor muscle which kept him out of the final 12 games but he started six out of eight games between January and March and earned rave reviews for his composure, touch and football IQ. He was also nominated for the 2023 Golden Boy Award alongside Harvey Elliott and he looks set to continue to be part of Liverpool’s first-team squad for the future.

His recovery has meant he has missed out on the chance to represent his country at the U21 European Championships, which got underway on June 21. Next up is pre-season for the former Celta Vigo midfielder where he’ll be hoping to remind Klopp of his qualities ahead of next season.