Rob Page details major factor behind Liverpool youngster's huge improvement

Liverpool Under-21s are flying - and one youngster is at the heart of that development. Kieran Morrison is thriving under Rob Page's influence, with Arne Slot keeping a watchful eye on his development

Kieran Morrison has thrived for Liverpool's Under-21s

Rob Page believes Kieran Morrison’s standards have reached unprecedented new heights since being handed the captain’s armband at Under-21 level.

The youngster demonstrated those qualities once again on Sunday when he provided another virtuoso, two-goal showing in Liverpool’s Premier League 2 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Morrison, who made his first-team debut in October and has been named on the bench for six senior games this season, has become one of the shining lights in Liverpool’s youth ranks. The versatile winger has netted 12 goals in 15 league appearances, and his brace against Spurs continued Liverpool’s impressive form at Under-21 level.

The Reds have won seven of their eight league matches since the turn of the year, a run that has coincided with Morrison’s improved output. The 19-year-old has provided 12 goal involvements in that period, while he also scored the only goal in Liverpool’s Uefa Youth League exit to Zilina last month.

That is a vast upgrade on the first half of the campaign, when Morrison delivered just two goals and an assist in his first eight league appearances, and he has thrived since Page has entrusted him with greater responsibility.

“Giving him the armband has given him another lift,” the Under-21s head coach told Liverpool.com. “We've given him that responsibility and he's absolutely shining with it.

Morrison has been the Under-21s' star performer over the last weeks

Morrison joined Liverpool from Manchester United in 2019, and has been a regular for the Under-21s since the start of the 2024/25.

After initially struggling with the jump from Under-18s, where he previously dazzled, the attacker has refined his game this season under Page, focusing greater attention on the minute details that can enhance performances. Inheriting the captaincy in January was in recognition of his more mature approach.

“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,” said Page.

“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 say: ‘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.

“Kieran wants to please people. It’s a great trait to have, so it's nice for us to be able to give him those moments and some players can't handle the pressure [of being captain]. Some people rise to the occasion and he's absolutely done that. He relishes it.”

Kieran Morrison starred in Liverpool Under-21 win against Tottenham

Proof of Morrison’s elevated standards were evident for onlookers at the AXA Training Centre on Sunday. The Northern Irish youth international was the standout performer against Tottenham. He moved the ball decisively, routinely carried a threat with his incisive runs from the right wing, and he created several chances for teams-mates.

As has often been the case in recent months, Morrison also netted two excellent goals. The first, to get Liverpool back on level terms, saw him cut inside and bend a shot into the far corner, before he netted the final goal of the game via a powerful strike with his weaker right foot inside the box.

“The right-foot goal for me was exceptional,” said Page. “He's so quick off the first two yards and the power he gets, and that's his wrong foot. It's not his preferred foot, so.

“But he practices in training and there's no surprise that when he produces moments like that, because he works so hard through the week.”

Rob Page has helped push Morrison to greater standards this season

For now, starring at youth-team level is a barometer of Morrison’s development. Soon, it won’t be enough. He, like Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha, wants to establish himself as a first-team regular. In order to achieve that, Morrison must continue dominating games at Under-21 level.

“Yeah but he drives that himself,” said Price, the former Wales coach who has helped countless youngsters bridge that gap.

“I thought if I needed to tell him that because he was showing signs of being complacent, we would. Me and Jay [Spearing] would absolutely nail him on it straight away, but there's no need.

“And Trey, and Rio, when they come down, there's no complacency, there's no air of arrogance where they go: ‘Now I'm a first team player’. There's none of that whatsoever. So that speaks volumes about the academy that we've got here and how we've kept the players grounded.”