Tyler Morton “Buzzing” After Woltman Home Debut and Gordon Goal

With academy players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones establishing themselves at the club recent seasons, the good health of Liverpool’s youth development program has been on obvious display over the past few years.

This season, a new name has been added to that list, with Tyler Morton having earned regular minutes in the domestic cups and making appearances in the league and Europe. On Sunday against Shrewsbury, that made him one of the more experienced players in a very youthful side.

“I was absolutely buzzing walking out with him at the start,” Morton said of the chance to be there for the home debut of U23 teammate Max Woltman. “I couldn’t be more proud of him, how we’ve all come up and the opportunity we’ve been given.

“We couldn’t be more happy with what we’ve been given and just to see him on the pitch with me, even [passing] him the ball felt a bit mad. But I was buzzing for him and we were both buzzing for the win.”

For Woltman, it was a first start and home debut after making a cameo against AC Milan in December. For another young teammate, Kaide Gordon, there was a goal to celebrate in his second senior appearance after making his debut in the League Cup against Norwich City in September.

“Kaide’s quality, everyone knows that,” Morton noted. “Kaide’s very, very good. For a 17-year-old, even coming and playing in these games is going to be tough but the composure he’s got and his left foot, everyone knows he’s just got quality.

“Hopefully this is the first of many, which I think it will be, and I thought he played really well. I’m really happy for him.”

With another round in the FA Cup secured, there will be another chance—for Morton to start, one imagines, and perhaps another chance for Woltman and Gordon as well—when Liverpool host Cardiff City in the FA Cup fourth round on February fifth.