Have Liverpool Found A Replacement For This 23-Year Old?

Liverpool might have lost out on Danny Ings for the rest of the season but there is some good news for another player. Ings did pick up another knee injury but Brooks Lennon is all set to take his place in the Liverpool squad, or at least in the U23 squad.

The American striker has been in red hot form of late and scored in his third consecutive home game as Liverpool drew against Portuguese side Porto. Lennon had also scored against Tottenham in a Premier League 2 game and seems to be in the form of his life.

The 19-year-old joined the Merseyside club in 2015 after completing his move from MLS side Real Salt Lake. This was not his first time at Liverpool as he had trained with the club a few years prior to that but getting an Irish passport did help clinch the deal. Lennon was also expected to have a trial at Aston Villa in 2013 but the Reds swopped in at the right time.

The American finally made it to the Liverpool side in 2015 and had a few league and cup games for the U21s in 2015.

One for the future

While many have been lauding the likes of Ben Woodburn and Sheyi Ojo as the future for the Reds in attack, Lennon should also be placed in the same breath as the former duo. The 19-year-old is known for playing off the shoulder of the last defender and looks to use his pace to split open defences and give his teammates an avenue to pass to.

He is excellent when it comes to finishing but with any player of his age, he still needs time to adjust to the rigours of playing in England.

“Brooks took a lot from working with and watching Danny,” coach Michael Beale told the Liverpool Echo. “I was pleased that Brooks got a goal. Initially, I thought he had taken the wrong choice coming back inside but he finished it very well. He has scored in a lot of the bigger games – Wolfsburg, Everton and now Porto. That’s a nice sign at this level.”

Jurgen Klopp certainly was upset at the loss of Danny Ings for the rest of the season but the German will have a number of options to try out this season. Ings’ injury might not be the best news for him but the likes of Lennon will be looking to take advantage and impress the manager.

The American also shared his goals for next year, while speaking in April.

“Next year my goal is to be practicing with the first team every single day, being the leading scorer for the reserves, and obviously trying to make my first-team debut next season.”

One year does seem to be a decent amount of time for Lennon to improve and hopefully make an appearance for the senior side. He will have competition though and that should only spur him on to achieve more at Anfield.