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A quiet transfer window for Liverpool can only mean one thing: youth product hype pieces. Just a week after one on Kaide Gordon, this latest piece from The Athletic by Caoimhe O’Neill focuses on Oakley Cannonier, the then-15-year-old ball boy who caught Barcelona’s backline napping and threw a quick ball to Trent Alexander-Arnold.
If you haven’t been paying attention, the now 17-year-old Cannonier recently signed his first professional contract with Liverpool FC in early July, and he’s been tearing it up on the pitch too. Just a week ago, he scored a hat-trick for the Under-18s against Chester in a preseason game at the Academy. And apparently, the club coaching staff are loving what they’re seeing from him in training very much.
According to the piece, “his slight frame, low centre of gravity, nifty feet and deadly finish have drawn comparisons to Philippe Coutinho from club staff”.
High praise. Cannonier was plagued by injuries last season but seems to have spent no time getting back to business. With fellow wunderkinds Harvey Elliott, Kaide Gordon and Mateusz Musialowski making waves, the future looks really bright for Liverpool. If the kid makes good progress, he may soon be the next name to pop up on the bench for a Carabao Cup game or two soon. Oakley Cannonier. Remember the name.