Harvey Elliott thought he was 'finished' when Chelsea released him for being 'too small'

Liverpool's rising star, Harvey Elliott, has opened up about a poignant moment in his football journey when he felt his dreams were shattered.

Revealing the hurdles he faced as a young player, Elliott recounted his rejection from Chelsea's youth ranks - a moment he has fought hard to overcome, defying the odds and now reaching a significant milestone in his career with Liverpool.

Elliott, who recently celebrated his 100th game for Liverpool—becoming the fourth-youngest in the club’s history to do so—disclosed his early struggles during Liverpool's The Reds Roundtable series.

The 21-year-old midfielder's journey to success has been far from smooth.

Harvey Elliott, released by Chelsea for being 'too small'

Joined by manager Jurgen Klopp, academy director Alex Inglethorpe and teammate Cody Gakpo, Elliott delved into the setbacks he faced as a much younger player.

Recounting his time at Chelsea "as a kid", Elliott revealed, "I was released by Chelsea because they said I was too small."

This rejection left him devastated, he said, leaving him believing his football career was "finished".

After the West London club released him, at around the age of 11 and 12, Elliott found himself playing in local leagues "with my friends".

However, having been told that he lacked the required stature, Elliott's father, Scott, played a pivotal role in his son's development, implementing rigourous training routines to enhance his physical attributes.

"My dad, the whole summer, off-seasons, was like 'no, you’re running up big hills'," Elliott said.

It was at that moment that things changed for the then-teenager.

“I was at Fulham, like a pre-academy thing, like you go sometimes, once a week, twice a week, to train, but I didn’t really enjoy it. But then Fulham contacted my father and said ‘look, I hear he hasn’t got a club. Does he want to come for a trial?'"

Then, the rest is history.

"I went for a trial at Fulham when I was 13 and then [was there] up until 16 when I left.”

During that time, Elliott, became the club's youngest-ever first-team player and the youngest to ever play in the League Cup when he made his debut aged just 15 years and 174 days.

Elliott, a key player for Klopp

Despite the initial setbacks, Elliott's talent and determination have flourished on the pitch, cementing his status as a key player for Liverpool with 51 appearances this season (bettered only by Darwin Nunez on 52).

As Elliott continues to thrive as a key member of Jurgen Klopp's squad, it's evident that Chelsea's loss has been Liverpool's gain.

Despite being deemed "too small" for Stamford Bridge, the 5 ft 7 in midfielder's success story is far from over, with much more surely to come in the Arne Slot era.