Klopp's Kids: The origin stories of Liverpool's Academy stars Clark, Danns, McConnell and more

Liverpool won the Carabao Cup on Sunday, defying the odds to take home the trophy against Chelsea’s billion-pound squad. 

They did so without plenty of first-team players with the likes of Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah out injured. 

An unprecedented injury crisis forced Jurgen Klopp to turn to the academy for solutions and he was not let down. Under-18 manager Marc Bridge-Wilkinson and his under-21 counterpart Barry Lewtas have done a superb job under academy director Alex Inglethorpe in blooding the Reds’ young stars and preparing them for the first team. 

When they were called upon on Sunday, “Klopp’s Kids” were not overawed and contributed towards Liverpool’s 10th League Cup victory. 

Afterwards, a photograph went viral taken depicting all the young and emerging academy stars who were on the field at the end of the game at Wembley. 

Alexander-Arnold and Jones were cropped from the picture, their exploits are already well-known, but here we look through the origin stories for the rest of the club’s academy graduates. 

Jarell Quansah

The 21-year-old first signed professional terms with the Reds back in February 2021. Initially a right back, he has since made his way in the senior ranks as a centre back.

Quansah has deputised well with Joel Matip out injured, alongside Virgil van Dijk in the heart of defence.

The Warrington native first joined the Reds’ youth ranks when he was seven years old and has made his way through the various age groups before working with Klopp’s senior stars.

He made his senior debut last August, as a substitute for Matip in a Premier League game against Newcastle, and has now made 20 senior appearances for the Reds. 

Jayden Danns

Danns has already featured twice for the first team and earned the praise of striking legend Ian Wright for his performance in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.

He made his Premier League debut in the 4-1 win against Luton Town last week before his Wembley outing at the weekend.

Local-born, the 18-year-old has been on Liverpool’s books since the age of eight. A prolific goalscorer at youth level, Danns was one of the players namechecked by Klopp as one to watch following the FA Cup win against Norwich in January.

His father, Neil Danns, was also a professional footballer who began his career in the Liverpool academy before making his way in the Premier League and Championship with the likes of Birmingham City and Crystal Palace. 

Bobby Clark

Another “son of…” who could well eclipse his father’s playing career, Bobby’s dad is the former Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark.

The 19-year-old spent seven years in the Newcastle academy before Liverpool came calling in August 2021. He signed for a £1.5 million fee, inking a pro deal until 2027 just after he turned 17, and quickly set about impressing coaches at Kirkby.

Clark made his debut all the way back in August 2022, against Bournemouth in the Premier League, but has made a definitive breakthrough to the first team in 2024, establishing himself around the squad and has now featured nine times for Klopp’s senior side.

He was an old head on young shoulders in the Wembley engine room on Sunday. 

James McConnell

Newcastle-born McConnell joined the Reds from Sunderland’s academy when he was an under-15s player, back in 2019. He secured a pro contract in October 2022, described as “long term” in Liverpool’s press release.

The 19-year-old midfielder looks the part already, having stepped up to the first-team squad for last summer’s pre-season campaign.

He made his debut back in October during a Europa League game against Toulouse and has been in and around the Premier League squad during the opening weeks of 2024.

He made his first start for the club in the 5-2 win against Norwich in January, providing an assist for Curtis Jones.  

Ben Doak 

The forward had already featured for Celtic’s first team before Liverpool plucked him in March 2022 for a compensation fee of £600,000.

He made his debut later that year in a League Cup tie against Derby County, and has gone on to rack up 10 senior appearances thus far.

The 18-year-old was tipped to become the heir apparent to Mohamed Salah in the Liverpool attack but is currently dealing with a long injury lay off.

He suffered a meniscus injury in December 2023 and is not expected to play again this season.

Still, hopes are high for the versatile attacker around Anfield, and the club are hoping he will return to his dynamic, explosive self before long. 

Lewis Koumas

Yet another Liverpool youngster with a professional footballer father, Lewis is the son of Wales playmaker Jason Koumas.

Having been a Liverpool youth player in his own right, Jason became a cult hero at Tranmere Rovers and West Brom.

It was with Tranmere where Lewis took his first football steps, before moving to Liverpool’s academy in 2016, aged 11.

Another versatile attacker, the 18-year-old has been prolific at Premier League under-18s level and has already been in the seniors’ matchday squad.

He has yet to taste action for Klopp’s side but was an unused substitute for the Carabao Cup victory over Chelsea on Sunday. 

Trey Nyoni 

Every top club in the land was alerted to Trey Nyoni as he was making his way through the Leicester City academy but it was Liverpool who won the race for his signature last summer.

His progress through the youth ranks has been staggering, moving from under-18 to under-21 level in super-quick time before joining the seniors for training and being named in matchday squads.

He is an elegant No.8 with a huge future. Still only 16, the England youth international is destined for great things.

He was among the players put “on standby” for last week’s match against Luton Town as the scale of Liverpool’s injury crisis became apparent. 

Stefan Bajcetic 

Father Srdan Bajcetic carved out a decent career as a midfielder in his own right, at one stage playing for Celta Vigo, and it was in Galicia that Stefan was born in 2004.

The Spain youth international was enticed to Anfield back in 2020 and signed improved terms in early 2023. By that stage the youngster had done enough to earn the club’s January player of the month award.

The 19-year-old looks at ease in the first team, mature beyond his years, and is well experienced for his age already. He has played in the Champions League knockout rounds and featured extensively in the Premier League before being struck down with his latest long-term injury.

Klopp will be looking forward to getting him back. He is less a prospect than a bonafide first-team member already. 

Conor Bradley 

Undoubtedly the Liverpool breakout star of 2024, Northern Irish international Bradley has deputised superbly for Trent Alexander-Arnold throughout his injury-hit year to date.

He was man of the match twice in the span of a few days - against Bournemouth and Chelsea - and started the Carabao Cup final against the Blues.

Such has been his impact that Reds fans aren’t as concerned about missing their senior right back as they are about other injury absences elsewhere.

The 20-year-old has been training with Liverpool since the age of nine and joined the club full-time back in 2019 having developed through the ranks of Dungannon Swifts in his homeland.

The full back also enjoyed a productive loan spell at Bolton Wanderers last season. 

Harvey Elliott 

So experienced already, it’s easy to forget that Harvey Elliott is only 20 years old. He has packed so much into his short career thus far and already has plenty of senior medals in his collection.

Recently a centurion, having played his 100th game for Liverpool against Luton last week, Elliott is set to be a mainstay in the midfield and attack for the decade ahead.

He had already made the breakthrough at Fulham before signing for Liverpool as a 16-year-old back in 2019. The fee was worked out in a tribunal and estimated at around £4m.

The attacker has also battled back from a horrific ankle injury suffered against Leeds in 2021 to become a dependable member of Klopp’s squad.