While Liverpool’s penalty shootout victory over Derby County to reach the League Cup fourth round might not have been a game to remember footballing purists, it was still a memorable night that a number of Jurgen Klopp’s squad will never forget.
Layton Stewart and Ben Doak were both handed their Reds debuts, while Calvin Ramsay, Stefan Bajcetic, Bobby Clark and Melkamu Frauendorf were all handed their first starts for the club as Liverpool maintained their recent tradition of using the League Cup to blood their youngsters.
Wednesday’s victory over the Rams means 34 academy graduates have now made their Reds debut or maiden start for the club in the League Cup since Klopp took over as Liverpool manager in October 2015. Meanwhile, a further 10 academy graduates have also been utilised across the German’s 25 League Cup matches to date.
