Phil Thompson raves about 17y/o who Liverpool hijacked Man Utd transfer for

Phil Thompson lavished praise on youngster Stefan Bajcetic’s performance in Liverpool’s pre-season win over RB Leipzig.

The Reds romped to a 5-0 victory over the Bundesliga outfit on Thursday.

Darwin Nunez grabbed all the headlines by plundering four goals but plenty of others impressed.

Teenagers Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho, in particular, caught the eye as they grabbed an assist each.

And Bejcetic’s 30-minute cameo did not go unnoticed as he won the ball back for Nunez’s hat-trick and Liverpool’s fourth goal.

The 17-year-old midfielder moved to Anfield from Celta Vigo in February 2021 - beating Manchester United to his signature.

He’s been training with Jurgen Klopp’s squad throughout pre-season and played in all three games so far.

And Bajcetic has been highly impressed former Kop captain and assistant manager Thompson.

What’s been said

Speaking to LFC TV, Thompson said: “Bajcetic is playing like a holding [midfield] role and he's getting the ball off the centre-backs under pressure but turning it around into the space.

“He's having the confidence to play it forward rather than get the ball to feet and playing it back.

“Then you've got Harvey who's a bit more of a maverick. I love it when he comes inside on his left foot and is looking to play in behind.

“That's where Darwin will come into his own.

“Fabio Carvalho is going to be a star. There's something about him. His awareness on the pitch is nothing short of sensational.

“Going into a game like this, you can get it into your feet and pass it back. As a young man, you're better than that.

“Bajcetic comes on, he's turning the ball around and is cutting about three or four players of theirs out of the game with one pass because he has the confidence and ability.

“It comes from the academy, it comes from the teaching, how you do it - yes you've got to be safe with the ball in certain areas but be aware of what's around you.

“You can bet your life that Bajcetic has gone: ‘I know someone is free on its way’ so has just turned it around into the space.”