Former Liverpool winger Stewart Downing has insisted that Harvey Elliott will be a success at Anfield and has likened the attacker to Raheem Sterling who spent three years in L4 before his big-money move to Manchester City.
Last season, 18-year-old Elliott enjoyed a temporary spell with Blackburn Rovers - alongside Downing - and narrowly missed out on the Championship Young Player of the Season as Michael Elise pipped him to the prize.
Elliott racked up the third-highest number of assists with only Emi Buendia - now at Aston Villa - and Elise, who recently moved to Crystal Palace, finishing higher.
Last week, the former Fulham trainee signed a long-term contract with the club he supported growing up, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal with the 19-time English champions.
After catching the first glimpse of Elliott in a friendly in which the Reds romped to a 6-0 win over Tony Mowbray's side, 36-year-old Downing was left flabbergasted after his display.
He told The Athletic : “I first saw Harvey when we played Liverpool in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Anfield before the season restarted last June.
“I couldn’t believe what I was watching."
Downing continued to compare Elliott with England's Raheem Sterling who spent his early years on Merseyside before his move to Manchester, another player the 2012 League Cup winner spent time alongside during his time under Brendan Rodgers.
He added: “[Elliott] was still only 17 but so mature for his age. I remember Raheem [Sterling] at 17.
"He had so much talent but he didn’t have Harvey’s understanding of the game – his decision making.
“He really stood out for us last season. You could see it every day with how he trained. He was probably our best player, along with (29-goal top scorer) Adam Armstrong. Harvey always seemed to know where to be, where to go.
“Getting into the Liverpool team is a big ask. He’s got to knock the likes of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane out the way.
“He’s a different type of player, as he’s not someone who relies on pace and power. He’s more of an assist maker.
"I can see him coming off the bench in the league and starting in the cups for Liverpool this season. He’s certainly got the ability, the confidence and the strength to handle himself at the top level. I’d certainly use him. He’s a great option to have.”
Elliott is currently in Austria with the majority of the squad as they gear up for the upcoming season.
The 18-year-old will be eyeing a place in Jurgen Klopp 's plans and could be utilised more frequently at the turn of the year when Mane and Salah depart for the Africa Cup of Nations.
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