1 week ago
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Will Wright was playing for Liverpool less than a day after his signing was confirmed. In what must have been a surreal 24 hours, he found himself making his Anfield bow after replacing Florian Wirtz, nearly finding the net to cap it all off.
Arriving from Salford City, the 17-year-old is expected to mainly work with the U21 setup this season. But he was given a rapid introduction to the size of the institution he has joined.
First and foremost, he got an early taste of the Anfield atmosphere, with the crowd in fine voice to welcome the new forward. But on top of that, Wright got a close-up look at the quality of his new teammates, featuring as part of the stronger of the two sides that played Athletic Club — alongside the likes of Mohamed Salah.
Admittedly, it wasn't the best first impression of Salah, who skied a penalty shortly after Wright's introduction. When it was awarded, some wondered whether the teenager might even be given the responsibility — but despite the outcome, there is a clearly defined taker at Liverpool, even in friendlies.
Even so, it must have been surreal rubbing shoulders with so many elite players, having spent his time up to now with the Salford academy setup. Having never even been on the books at an "elite" club, this was a brand new environment for Wright.
Prior to making his whirlwind debut, Wright broke his silence on the move. He marked his transfer with a post on Instagram.
"A proud moment for me and my family to announce I've signed for the Premier League champions!", wrote Wright. He shared this alongside a picture of him signing his contract.
And after the match, he posted again. There was no caption this time, but three pictures: one of him replacing Wirtz, and two of him in the thick of the action.
He may have been a man of few words so far, but those around him have been more eager to talk. And they only have good things to say.
"We are absolutely delighted for Will to complete his move to Liverpool after a very successful season as a first year scholar," said Jamie Russell, Salford's head of academy. "He has earned this opportunity and we are excited to see how he continues to develop and progress.
"It’s brilliant for us as an Academy to see a player move on to a Category 1 club," Russell told Salford's website.
"We’ve only been Category 3 ourselves since 2023, but in that time to see 17 players make men’s team debuts and to have interest in a number of players from clubs higher up the leagues is testament to the job that the coaches, the staff, and the recruitment team here are doing."
Wright made a senior debut for Salford in January 2025, featuring against Man City in an 8-0 defeat. He was in demand this summer, with Liverpool beating Arsenal to the move.
The youngster will now put his faith in the pathway for young talent at Anfield. It won't be easy, with talented strikers like Jayden Danns already striving to make the grade — but Liverpool has clearly seen something that it likes in Wright.
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