Liverpool news as Jayden Danns steals the show in the FA Cup with sensational brace off the bench
Jamie Carragher has joined the Jayden Danns love-in after the Liverpool teenager scored twice from the bench on just his second-ever Anfield appearance against Southampton.
The 18-year-old wasn’t among the six changes made by Jurgen Klopp to the team that lined up against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, but did make up an extremely youthful looking bench.
Klopp continued the bedding in of academy players once more against Saints, handing starts to Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, James McConnell, Lewis Koumas, and Bobby Clark. Danns was alongside Kaide Gordon, Trey Nyoni, Amara Nallo, and Calum Scanlon on the bench.
The trust in the Kirkby kids paid off again as the Reds ran out 3-0 winners over high-flying Southampton to book a place in the quarter-finals against Manchester United. Danns, who had never played for the senior side 10 days ago, epitomised that.
He clinched the game after coming on after an hour, scoring a brace in front of the Kop. Koumas himself had given the home side the lead before half-time.
It was Danns that truly captured the imagination though. He raced onto Harvey Elliot’s weighted pass and calmly chipped the ball into the net over the onrushing goalkeeper to open his account for the club. Running off to celebrate in style, Danns was flogged by his teammates after knee-sliding into the corner.
He then grabbed a second, tapping in the rebound to Bradley’s placed shot. In disbelief, he sprinted off in the other direction. Understandably he has been the centre of attention after the game, and Carragher has become just one of those making his praise loud and clear.
“Two goals, MOM [Man of the Match], great post match interview & all that at just 18! @jayden_danns76 [football emoji, clapping emoji]” he wrote on Twitter.
Before Wednesday, Danns had only played five times for Liverpool’s Under-21 side, and wasn’t even yet a regular in Premier League 2.
