Liverpool have had an incredible start to the 2023/24 season.
They currently sit on top of the Premier League, three points ahead of second-placed Aston Villa.
2023 was a very mixed season for the club, starting the year dropping behind their rivals.
Then changing course to where they are now. It feels as if there has been a massive change at the club and the team who started 2023 are no longer with us.
Granted, this is partially due to the overhaul of players that the Reds went through in summer.
The likes of Naby Keita, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho all departed the club for pastures new.
This allowed Jurgen Klopp to bring the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch to join the club.
However, although the new arrivals have benefitted Liverpool’s results massively, some of the youngsters at the club have really found their feet this season.
Klopp has always been one to entrust the youngsters with game time.
However, due to things such as injuries, many of the youngsters at the club have been called upon to help the team.
Particularly, Harvey Elliott has really found his feet this season.
The youngster hasn’t been afforded as much gametime this season compared to other campaigns, however, he has been impressive when called upon.
Why Harvey Elliott deserves an extended run in the first-team
Although Elliott has been at the club since 2019, this year he has really showcased the talent he possesses.
The 20-year-old joined Liverpool for a fee of £1.5million with potential add-ons of £2.8million.
This was a record fee at the time for a 16-year-old but he has now shown what Klopp saw in him whilst he was at Fulham.
This season, he has often had to make an impact off the bench because new boys, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mac Allister have been Klopp’s preferred options.
This is due to no fault of his own, however, as the pair have both been in stellar form this season.
However, when Elliott does appear for the Reds, he has quite often changed the game.
In some clashes, he has been the sole reason why Liverpool have managed to come away with three points.
Despite his attacking prowess, his defensive capabilities have also been heightened during his time at the club.
When compared to other midfielders per 90 via the Data MB database, the 20-year-old tops the charts in areas such as most progressive runs and crosses into the box.
He also has the second-most shots and third-most key passes.
The reason why these figures are so impressive is due to the restricted amount of playing time Elliott has been given this season.
It is clear to see as he is getting older, he is now honing his skills and becoming a perfect box-to-box midfielder.
How Elliott feels about his game-time
Harvey Elliott himself has spoken on his season thus far and has claimed he doesn’t want to be “known as a super-sub.”
“I don’t really want to be known as a super-sub,” said Elliott.
“It’s a great headline but at the same time I want to be in the team.
“It’s time for myself to establish myself in that position again and hopefully get a good run of games but, at the same time, I need to be patient as well and maybe be the super-sub as well.”
Fans forget that before Elliott’s ankle dislocation in 2021 which side-lined him for around four months, he was becoming a regular starter for Klopp.
Although the injury set his development back a few months, his quality still remained.
It feels as if Liverpool are now seeing the real Elliott and the talent he possesses.
There is no doubt that in the second half of the season, the midfielder should be given a chance to prove himself once again.
Especially if someone such as Gravenberch or Szoboszlai becomes injured.