Derry City under-17 manager Gerald Boyle believes Trent Kone-Doherty has all the attributes to be a success with Liverpool ahead of his proposed move to the club next month.
Reports in Ireland claim that the youngster will officially join the Reds next month. Kone-Doherty is listed as a member of Derry’s first-team squad and made his debut earlier this year.
The teenager has also been capped eight times for Republic of Ireland’s Under 16 and Under 17 teams, scoring two goals. He is the latest addition as Liverpool’s youth recruitment continues to take a more localised approach following rules changes regarding youth signings due to Brexit.
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Overseas players under 18 can no longer be acquired and the Reds have already added Kaide Gordon, Bobby Clark and Ben Doak since the start of 2021. Despite Derry City playing in the League of Ireland, the top tier of football in the Republic of Ireland, the fact that Derry is in Northern Ireland means the restrictions post-Brexit do not interfere with this particular deal.
The localised recruitment has been replicated higher up the club with the additions of promising first teamers Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay this summer. Both are part of the club’s wider strategy to bring in talented youngsters to Anfield as Jurgen Klopp continues to build after signing a new long-term contract last season.
“Trent certainly does have all the attributes to do well,” Boyle told the Derry Journal. “Trent has that ‘x-factor, he’s got something special. His one-on-one ability is excellent. He has got serious, serious pace but the biggest thing about him is that he has a brilliant attitude.
“He is so receptive to information, he wants to learn all the time and he’s a great team-mate as well. Those qualities, as well as his physical and technical abilities, will take him a long way because he’s a great kid to work with and, as I said, he wants to learn and get better. Hopefully, that takes him a long, long way in the game.
“Of course, it’s going to be tough. The Premier League is a tough environment but you know what, Trent has got a really, really good chance because he has got that something special.”
Boyle was also full of praise for Liverpool and hailed those that had played a role in his former player’s journey.
He said: “Liverpool, in particular, go for quality over quantity, they don’t go for big numbers at their academy.
“It’s a credit to everybody who has worked with Trent down the years from his boys club coaches and to every coach that has had him at Derry City, they have all helped him on that journey to get to Liverpool.
“Obviously there’s a lot of natural ability and his family will also have put in a lot of work with him as well.”
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