Ben Doak sent message as Bobby Clark struggles clear for Liverpool

Ben Doak has sent a message as Bobby Clark is clearly struggling for Liverpool

Analysis of Liverpool Under-21’s 1-1 draw with Everton at Haig Avenue in Southport

A late goal from Max Wolltman saw Liverpool draw 1-1 with 10-man Everton in the Merseyside Under-21 mini derby on Sunday.

Stanley Mills put Everton ahead early on before the home side were reduced to 10 after left-back Ishe Samuels-Smith left Ben Doak in a pile with a poor challenge.

Woltman scored late to give Barry Lewtas’ side a point in Premier League 2 and ECHO was at Southport’s Haig Avenue stadium analyzing the game.

Manchester United were seen as the striker’s most likely destination as the winter transfer window opened, although it was Liverpool who struck a deal to lure Gakpo away from his boyhood club.

Kuyt, who followed the same path from Holland to Liverpool after leaving Feyenoord in 2006, watched with pride after witnessing this deal come to fruition. They currently top the table with eight points with five games to go. The success was achieved by a team whose average age (23.4) is the third youngest in the division. Kuyt is partly responsible for developing some of the first team members thanks to his two years as Feyenoord Under-19 manager between 2018 and 2020.

“I’m a Feyenoord man and they’re doing very well at the moment,” he said with a broad smile on his face. “They have a great coach in Arne Slot and some of the younger guys like Orkun Kokcu and Lutsharel Geertruida are knocking on the door and playing very well. It won’t be long before interest from top European teams is there for them. I hope Liverpool are interested in Feyenoord players, and I’m an example that can work!

“When I was working as an under-19 youth coach, Kokcu and Geertruida were in my team at that time. At Ajax now there are Jurrien Timber and Kenneth Taylor, who we played against. You know who the talented players are and you can see that they have a great future ahead of them. Gakpo was a great talent and everyone knew by seeing him in the youth team that one day he would play for a club like Liverpool.”