3 Liverpool wonderkids to look out for as Kieran Morrison hits 16-goal mark

Liverpool's Under-21s side enjoyed a superb run of form in recent months, and although it ended the season with two consecutive losses, there is hope that it can put together a good run in the play

Kieran Morrison is among Liverpool most impressive youth-team players

Liverpool’s Under-21s finished its regular season on Sunday with a disappointing 5-1 defeat at home against Crystal Palace.

Despite the Reds’ impressive performances in the second half of the campaign, which included a run of eight wins in nine league matches, Rob Page’s side finished the season with back-to-back defeats.

Due to fixtures being scheduled elsewhere and matches still to take place until mid-April, it will take nearly a month for Liverpool to begin its play-off games, with the Reds securing a top-eight finish, meaning it will be handed a home fixture in the first round. They currently sit sixth in the table, and can only be caught by two teams.

At the heart of Liverpool’s push since the turn of the year has been Kieran Morrison. The ex-Manchester United protege’s impressive performances have seen him earn a senior call-up to the Northern Ireland squad for the upcoming World Cup play-off against Italy.

The right-footed winger has scored 15 goals this season, with 12 coming in the final 10 matches of the league season. He has also been handed the captain’s armband by Page, who feels the extra responsibility is driving Morrison to greater heights.

“You see him work hard in training, you see him training,” the Liverpool Under-21 coach told Liverpool.com earlier this month.

Morrison has been the Under-21s' star performer over the last weeks(Image: Getty Images)

“Giving him the armband has given him another lift as well. And we've given him that responsibility and he's absolutely shining with it.

“I saw from day one he had ability, but there were certain things he was doing in and around, not just on the field, off the field.

“So I've absolutely drilled that into him, and he's taken it on board. Like I said, giving him the armband as well has made him step up and said, ‘well, I can't be the class clown anymore and I have to lead by example.’ He's doing that and some and I'm so proud of him.”

In addition to Morrison, others have shone for the Under-21s in recent weeks. Will Wright made headlines this summer when Liverpool signed him from Salford, but the start of his career on Merseyside was impacted by a serious injury that kept him out for the better part of three months.

Blessed with excellent technique and an eye for goal, the most notable element of the slight forward’s displays is his tireless work rate.

Wellity Lucky trained with Liverpool's first team on several occasions earlier this season

It’s not unusual to see him shove lumbering defenders off the ball, and he has also earned praise from Page in recent weeks.

Elsewhere, Wellity Lucky is among the most highly-regarded center-backs at the club, despite the outlay on four youthful defenders in January.

The not-so-aptly named Lucky has unfortunately been affected by injury and last featured for the Under-21s in January.

The Spaniard has been around the first-team squad this season and made his senior debut in September’s Carabao Cup loss to Crystal Palace. He was also named on the bench five times before his injury setback.