Ex-Liverpool youngsters out to shock Reds in FA Cup after Philippe Coutinho moment

Liverpool takes on League One side Barnsley in the third round of the FA Cup on Monday, and two of the Tykes' players will be hoping to fulfill a lifelong dream at Anfield

Barnsley players Adam Phillips and Vimal Yoganathan both came through Liverpool's academy(Image: Getty Images)

Two Barnsley players could get the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream as they make their return to Liverpool on Monday.

The Reds host the League One side in the third round of the FA Cup at Anfield, with Arne Slot’s side aiming to avoid a shock defeat after a weekend that has already seen upsets for the likes of Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.

Barnsley though will be hoping to emulate the 2008 side that rocked Rafa Benitez’s side, and there will be two Tykes players hoping they get the chance to finally step out on the hallowed Anfield turf.

Adam Phillips and Vimal Yoganathan make their returns to Merseyside on Monday, having both come through the Liverpool academy as youngsters. Phillips spent eight years with the Reds, while Yoganathan experienced seven years before both were released.

The pair still hold their former club in their hearts though, and getting the chance to finally play at Anfield will hold so much significance for both.

"I was buzzing [when the draw happened]," Phillips told BBC Sport. "I ran upstairs screaming at my missus. I couldn't believe it, I'm still a massive Liverpool fan.

Adam Phillips left Liverpool in 2017(Image: Getty)

"I was at the 4-0 [Champions League] win against Barcelona in 2019. If Liverpool are on, I'm zoned in and whenever I can, I'll go to Anfield to watch them too.

"There's me, Vimal and a few other Liverpool fans in the side. I've got more than 30 tickets for my family and friends. They'll all be in the away end getting behind the boys.

"I'll get goosebumps when You'll Never Walk Alone is played. The dream was always to play for Liverpool but not many make it, so I'm happy to play there for Barnsley. It'll be a special experience."

Phillips left the Reds back in 2017, having got the chance to play alongside some of the club’s biggest names as a teenager.

"I was 16 when I went to America with the first team for a pre-season tour in 2014 under Brendan Rodgers and I got subbed on for [Philippe] Coutinho in one of the games. It was surreal," he recalls.

"I'd just left school and was training with Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Coutinho."

Adam Phillips trains alongside Jordan Henderson with Liverpool in 2014(Image: Getty Images)

Yoganthan, meanwhile, will be aiming to cap off a special 12 months as he adds Anfield to his visits to Old Trafford and Wembley over the past year.

The midfielder, whose family hails from Sri Lanka, became the first Tamil player to score in the English Football League earlier this season. He returns to Liverpool on Monday, having already experienced plenty of drama at Anfield, having been the ball boy when Divock Origi scored his famous stoppage-time winner against Everton in 2018.

"I remember seeing the draw and thinking 'what the hell', because I've had crazy luck with the draws,” Yoganathan said. “People dream about stepping out at Anfield. I was a ball boy there when I was young, so it'll be a memorable experience."

Vimal Yoganathan became the first Tamil player to score in the EFL earlier this season(Image: Getty Images)

The 19-year-old, who turns 20 on Tuesday, admits there have already been conversations in the dressing room about shirt swaps at the end of today’s game.

"We've had a little bit [of chat]. We don't know who's playing, but there's loads of players whose shirts I'd want.

"I've liked watching Hugo Ekitike and obviously [Virgil] van Dijk would be an amazing one. There's loads. I'll take anyone's shirt and be happy."

Barnsley though will hope not to be too starstruck as they look to cause another major shock this weekend. "We're aiming for a win," says Yoganathan.

"We'll give it our best shot and see what happens," adds Phillips. "There's no point turning up if you don't believe."