Liverpool wonderkid following in Steven Gerrard's footsteps

Liverpool once had a stalwart in midfield by the name of Steven Gerrard, and my goodness he was magnificent.

The fans' Scouse representative on the pitch, living and breathing the football club, giving every ounce of sweat and tears he had to ensure the Reds succeeded in their endeavours.

Liverpool Transfer News: Kerkez BOMBSHELL as offer put to star

While Liverpool have found it nearly impossible to replace him on the pitch, a number of players have been fielded in his position since he retired and the team has been able to continue delivering silverware for the club in the years preceding under Jurgen Klopp.

READ MORE: The TRUTH behind Mo Salah's surprise PSG meeting

In addition, homegrown players such as Curtis Jones and Trent Alexander-Arnold have also worn their hearts on their sleeve, keeping the club grounded in its illustrious history.

Plenty of up-and-coming youngsters have been touted as the new Steven Gerrard, but one in particular seems to have developed more similarities than others and the wonderkid's pathway just became that little bit more aligned to the great man.

McConnell's development increasingly hindered by injury issues

20-year-old James McConnell is one of the Liverpool academy's most promising midfielders.

Arne Slot has been forthcoming with the player already this season, giving him opportunities to play with the first -team as part of a process to slowly introduce him to the relentless nature of the senior men's game.

In an attempt to help the team in any way he can, he featured at right-back during the Reds' 1-0 defeat to Plymouth in the FA Cup - a move that was reminiscent of how Gerrard broke into the first team when he was a youngster, by showcasing his ability to be versatile when necessary.

And while McConnell is originally from Newcastle, the player's infectious workrate on and off the ball makes the Gerrard comparisons that bit more inevitable. Liverpool need players who will fight for the badge and McConnell has more than demonstrated that intention in his young career so far.

However, the comparisons don't end there. The Englishman's recent injury problems are also reminiscent of the Scouse great.

During the 1999/2000 season, Gerrard was unable to compete in games that happened in quick succession of each other as a result of fatigue and early onset growth issues.

He missed 11 of the 14 England matches he was selected for under Sven Goran-Erikkson's reign and for Liverpool in the Champions League, he had to miss several weeks of fixtures at times as a result of injury.

McConnell's recent injury is related to his face, but he was hampered by an ankle injury during last summer and while his traits may resemble Gerrard at times, Liverpool will need to manage him carefully if they are to avoid the issues Gerrard had at the start of his career.

READ MORE: Why Darwin Nunez has decided to LEAVE Liverpool

Slot recognises how important he can be for the club moving forward, and as such the approach so far has been to only use him in matches whereby he is not asked to do too much, but as the player begins to mature into adulthood, the Dutchman may eventually feel comfortable using him more extensively.

READ MORE: Transfer target shows Liverpool EXACTLY what they're missing