Gary Lineker has revealed an incredible fact about Billy Koumetio, after the centre-back made his Liverpool debut on Wednesday night.
The Reds drew 1-1 away to Midtjylland in their final Champions League Group D clash, with qualification to the last-16 secured before the match.
Koumetio was handed his debut at half-time, with the 18-year-old coming on for Fabinho.
Admittedly, the Frenchman found it tough to settle, allowing the hosts to get on top, but he will still be delighted to have made his first Reds appearance.
Taking to Twitter after the game, Lineker confirmed that Koumetio, Liverpool’s youngest ever Champions League debutant, was a ball boy in the unforgettable 4-0 win over Barcelona back in 2018/19:
A substitute appearance for Billy Koumetio. The youngest @LFC player ever to make his debut in the Champions League. He was a ball boy at Anfield the night that Liverpool beat Barça 4-0.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 9, 2020
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Given the size and stature of the Koumetio, it seems scarcely believable that he was a ball boy as little as 19 months ago – he already looks like a seasoned professional.
His physicality is already hugely impressive for his age and the hope is that it helps him adjust to the senior game better than others.
Koumetio is still extremely raw, as Wednesday’s game highlighted, but he is an exciting prospect who could be needed more as the season progresses.
It seems likely that he will be given a chance in the FA Cup in January, with Klopp’s past treatment of the competition suggesting he will ring the changes away to Aston Villa.
