Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the USA saw a standout performance from young midfielder Trey Nyoni, earning high praise from head coach Arne Slot. The Reds secured a 1-0 victory over Real Betis, with Dominik Szoboszlai scoring the lone goal in Pittsburgh.
Nyoni’s Impressive Cameo
The match marked the official start of Arne Slot’s tenure as Liverpool’s head coach. Slot faced challenges with a depleted squad due to Euro 2024 and the Copa America, and the situation worsened when Curtis Jones left the field due to injury within the first 30 minutes. Nyoni, a 17-year-old talent signed from Leicester City last summer, replaced Jones and made an immediate impact. His performance was instrumental in Liverpool’s goal and he continued to impress throughout his time on the pitch.
Breaking the Golden Rule
Slot had previously stated that he wouldn’t single out any young players for praise. However, he broke this rule to commend Nyoni’s exceptional performance. Speaking to LFCTV, Slot said, “Someone else came in and he played quite well. I said yesterday that I’m not going to name any youngsters who have caught my eye but you could see he comes in after 30 minutes for Curtis and you would expect that I meant him.
“He did really well today. He just turned 17 and his body is young so I think he needs some time to get stronger and hopefully he will be a bit taller as well. He found a lot of players in between the lines and there was also a great small pass for Harvey. He did well, that’s a good thing because we know we have a lot of good players.”
Performance Highlights
Slot elaborated on Nyoni’s contributions, highlighting his role in the game’s only goal and a significant chance in the second half. Despite Nyoni’s youth, Slot acknowledged his remarkable quality and potential. However, he also emphasized the need for caution given Nyoni’s developing physique. Slot remarked, “He was one of the reasons why we scored the goal, because he turned really quickly and [played] a spot-on pass in between the lines. And he was also involved in the biggest chance in the second half. So he did well.
“But he’s just turned 17 and his body has to grow, and we are really careful with him. So he doesn’t join every session and sometimes he goes out a bit earlier because he only turned 17 and you can see his quality but you can also see his body still needs some time to grow to play at Premier League level. But he showed some interesting things today.”
Szoboszlai’s Praise
Goalscorer Dominik Szoboszlai also commended Nyoni’s performance, particularly noting his offensive prowess and agility. Szoboszlai shared, “I like him a lot, he is a really offensive player. I just said on the bench to [Jarell] Quansah, you can’t even foul him because of his movements and stuff like this. Everybody saw in the second half, Nat [Phillips] was a centre-back but otherwise everybody was young and almost none of them were 20. But they still did a good job, didn’t concede a goal and had chances. So yeah, a good future.”
Conclusion
Trey Nyoni’s impressive display in Liverpool’s pre-season victory has set high expectations for the young midfielder. Both Arne Slot and Dominik Szoboszlai’s praises underscore his potential to become a significant player for Liverpool. As Nyoni continues to develop, fans and coaches alike are excited about what the future holds for this promising talent.
