Liverpool’s former under-23 coach Michael Beale has tipped “outstanding goalscorer” Dominic Solanke to be a success at Anfield.
Solanke’s move from Chelsea was confirmed this week, with the Englishman making his debut in Wednesday’s win at Tranmere.
Beale, who left the club in 2016, worked with Solanke as a child and was mightily impressed by his enthusiasm.
Beale told BBC Radio Merseyside
There’s a young boy there, Dominic Solanke, who I think is going to excited a lot of people. [He is] a boy I’ve known since the age of six and I’m really excited to see how he does. He was training with [Chelsea’s] under-8s, with Ovie Ejaria, they were two players in London who everybody knew about. Dominic had unbelievable movement mechanics at a young age, he was so fast. He got out of his dad or mum’s car and just sprinted to the pitch, and he stayed like that for 90 minutes of your session. He’s a little bit shy, so people will be patient with him, but he’s an outstanding goalscorer and obviously he’s just come off the back of the under-20 World Cup where he was Player of the Tournament, so he has a big CV also.
Beale believes that pre-season is an ideal time for youngsters such as Solanke, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ben Woodburn to force themselves into first team contention.
Pre-season is the most important time for the young players, to catch the eye in front of the manager when one or two of the older players are coming back later. We would say to the young players at the end of the season, ‘make sure you come back strong’, to try and get one or two yards on the older players. It’s a clean slate for everybody. We’re at a stage now where Trent Alexander-Arnold is chasing Nathaniel Clyne every day. I really like the wide players, I’m a sucker for them. But I love Ryan Kent, Harry Wilson, Sheyi Ojo, Ben Woodburn, now Dominic Solanke, Ovie Ejaria. There’s a lot of young players that Liverpool fans know the name of, which is positive.
Beale also praised Jurgen Klopp for giving young players a chance, revealing that he brought a new approach when he joined the club in October 2015.
I think the first-team staff deserve a huge credit, because what Jurgen did when he first came in was take five or six players and take them to Melwood. He let them stay there for a number of weeks, to be around the senior players and learn from them. It’s like an old reserve-team situation: they were there every day, learning from them. He shows a real interest in them, and I think that’s key.
Liverpool’s young talent will be on show once again on Friday as the Reds take on Wigan Athletic in their second pre-season friendly
