Liverpool's 10 youngest ever players

Is there anything more exciting in football than an academy prospect making his breakthrough?

Liverpool have been blessed with some top homegrown talent over the years, and with Jurgen Klopp describing the current crop of youngsters coming through as 'special', we can expect to see plenty more from the likes of Ben Doak, Conor Bradley, James McConnell and the rest in 2023/24.

Here are the ten youngest players ever to feature in a competitive game for the Liverpool senior side.

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10. Raheem Sterling (17 years 3 months)

Despite a frosty ending to his Liverpool career, there's no hiding the contribution Sterling made to Liverpool at such a young age.

The £450k signing from QPR made his debut for Liverpool in March 2012 as a late substitute in a 2-1 Premier League defeat to Wigan Athletic at Anfield, and soon became a regular for club and country while still a teenager.

Sterling went on to make 129 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 23 times, notably forming a frightening attack with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in the 2013/14 season.

9. Tom Hill (17 years 2 months)

Hill became Liverpool's ninth-youngest ever player when he was part of Liverpool's Carabao Cup team that faced Aston Villa in that 5-0 loss while the first team were competing for the Club World Cup in Qatar.

That remains Hill's only ever first-team appearance, but the midfielder remains a part of Liverpool's Under-23 side under Barry Lewtas.

8. Ben Woodburn (17 years 1 month)

Nine years on from joining Liverpool aged eight, Ben Woodburn came on for his first-team debut in a 2-0 win over Sunderland in 2016. Three days later, Woodburn grabbed his second appearance for Liverpool against Leeds, on a night where he became the club's youngest ever goalscorer, netting the Reds' second of the game.

After making 11 first-team appearances, Woodburn went out on multiple loans before signing for Preston North End on a permanent deal in 2022.

7. Ben Doak (16 years 11 months)

After signing for Liverpool from Celtic in 2022, Ben Doak has becoming one of Liverpool's most exciting talents.

The 17 year-old made his Reds debut in November 2022 against Derby County and has gone into make cameos in the Premier League and domestic cups.

A direct, skilful and fearless winger, Doak is held in high regard by everyone associated with Liverpool and looks set for more game time in 2023/24 following Fabio Carvalho's loan to RB Leipzig.

READ MORE: How Ben Doak could end up as Mohamed Salah's Liverpool successor 

6. Ki-Jana Hoever (16 years 11 months)

Signed from Ajax in 2018 as a promising defender, the Dutchman made his full debut against Wolves in a 2-1 defeat in the FA Cup in January 2019, becoming Liverpool's third-youngest ever player at the time.

The right back's was highly rated at Anfield and grabbed headlines with a goal against MK Dons in 2019. However, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Neco Williams ahead of him in the pecking order, Hoever eventually signed for Wolves in 2020.

5. Kaide Gordon (16 years 11 months)

A player with real promise, Godron signed from Derby County in 2021 for £1.1m, rising to £3.4m. The youngster quickly caught the eyes Klopp and Pep Lijnders' and was rewarded his competitive debut for the club in September 2021 in a 3-0 victory over Norwich City.

The winger netted his first goal for the first-team in January 2022 as he contributed to a 4-1 win against Shrewsbury at Anfield, with a fine finish in-front of the Kop. A Premier League debut came soon after as he came off the bench against Brentford towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

However, soon after, Gordon suffered a pelvic problem linked to his growth that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Fit again, Gordon is looking to make up for lost time in 2023/24.

4. James Norris (16 years 8 months)

James Norris also made his debut in the infamous 5-0 defeat to Aston Villa in 2019 and has since played once more under Klopp. The attacking full back came on as a substitute against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup third round in 2022.

A regular for England Under-19's, the Scouser signed a long-term deal with Liverpool in 2021, and has since stepped up into the Under-23 side.

3. Jack Robinson (16 years 8 months)

Robinson held the record as Liverpool's youngest player when he came on in a goalless draw against Hull in 2010.

Now sitting third on the all-time list, the defender made 11 appearances for the Reds before earning further experience on loan in the Championship with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackpool.

The 29 year-old is now back in the Premier League having helped Sheffield United gain promotion last season.

2. Harvey Elliott (16 years 5 months)

After learning his trade at Fulham, boyhood Liverpool fan Harvey Elliott got his dream move in 2019 for a fee of £4.3m. Since his arrival, Elliott has gradually become a regular in Klopp's side with 66 appearances to his name, getting on the scoresheet on six occasions.

Elliott became Liverpool's second-youngest ever footballer in 2019 as Liverpool defeated MK Dons 2-0.

The midfielder played 46 times in all competitions in 2022/23, bouncing back from a serious injury that largely kept him sidelined in the domestic double winning campaign the year before.

READ MORE: What does Liverpool's midfield revolution mean for Harvey Elliott? 

1. Jerome Sinclair (16 years 6 days)

11 years on from his Liverpool debut, Jerome Sinclair still holds the crown for the youngest ever player in Liverpool's history. Six days on from his 16th birthday, Sinclair came off the bench in a 2-1 League Cup victory against West Brom at the Hawthorns.

While there was understandably a lot of hype around the youngster, Sinclair only went on to play four more times for Liverpool, scoring once.

The 27 year-old forward has struggled to settle since leaving Liverpool, with injuries disrupting his career. He has turned out for Watford, Sunderland, Oxford United and CSKA Sofia among others, to date.