One To Watch: Danns the latest Liverpool starlet set to shine

Jurgen Klopp made the best of Liverpool's mounting injury issues by handing 18-year-old Jayden Danns his senior debut in the 4-1 win against Luton last night.

The Premier League leaders ran out comfortable winners against the Hatters despite an early scare.

And Danns — son of former Crystal Palace midfielder Neil Danns — was handed a late cameo, replacing Luis Diaz in the 89th minute.

Read on as we take a deep dive into the young striker's rise through the ranks.

Injury-ridden

In what is a big week for Liverpool, Klopp has had to turn to his academy to make up the numbers with several players picking up injuries ahead of Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Chelsea.

The Reds were without the attacking quality of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota on Wednesday night and instead relied on the fresh legs of Danns to see out the match at Anfield.

But the talented prospect did not just stumble into the senior squad for the first time — he has earned his place there.

Danns has bagged nine goals in as many matches in the Under-18s Premier League and is a key part of the England youth setup.

He is unlikely to instantly displace one of Liverpool's main attacking men but if afforded the same chances Conor Bradley has received in defence, the local lad could become a familiar face between now and the end of the season.

Nothing to fear

His time on the pitch was short but Danns appeared extremely grateful for the honour of representing his boyhood club.

Klopp shared his player's delight and even hinted that he would have no problem playing him at Wembley this weekend.

The German boss said: "The [injury] situation is not great, absolutely not, we don't have to make that now nicer than it is.

"I'm so happy that all the kids came on and played — Dannsy [Jayden Danns] said 50 times, 'Thank you, boss'.

"I'm so happy that I could give him that opportunity, the boys deserve it.

"There's one phrase that stands — as long as we have 11, we will go for it. That's all I can promise."

Kane comparisons

Since Roberto Firmino departed for Saudi Arabia, Liverpool have lacked a spearhead in attack but Danns could be their long-term replacement for the Brazilian.

The target man has also been compared to ex-Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

These observations may be premature considering Danns had just four touches against the Hatters but his movement is reminiscent of the England captain, who likes to drop deep and influence play.

At a lower level, the No76 has showcased an array of finishing techniques and is now setting his sights on making his mark in the senior game.

He said: "My long-term aim is to be the best player I can possibly be.

"I don't want to end my career and have any regrets where I could have worked harder. I'd rather just put all the work in and try to get as much as I can from it.

"Step by step, I want to become the player that I envision."

Danns already possesses an attitude that will see him progress in Klopp's remaining months.

And if he continues to improve, a regular spot in the first-team squad beckons in the 2024-25 campaign.