Harvey Elliott has explained the thinking behind his Liverpool squad number and why he doesn't like the attention of being a professional footballer.
Elliott joined the Reds from Fulham during the summer of 2019. He became the youngest player to play in the Premier League, aged 16 years and 30 days when he made his league debut after coming on as an 88th-minute substitute in a 1–0 away defeat to Wolves on May 4, 2019.
The youngster then enjoyed a very successful loan spell at Blackburn Rovers in the Championship last season. And since his return to Anfield in the summer, Elliott has gone on to feature regularly for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season, despite spending five months on the sidelines with a serious ankle injury.
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During his time in the Liverpool first-team, the former Fulham Academy star has worn the No.67 shirt. And opening on the reason behind it, Elliott has pointed to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Suarez as influences behind his decision.
“So I used to love players who wore the number 7 when I was a kid – Luis Suarez, people like that,” the teenager told SoccerBible.
“I used to have my own shirt with 7 on the back. Then when you sign at such a young age you don’t really get to pick from the lower numbers.
“67 was just the next one available with 7 in it, so I thought, yeah, why not. At the same time I thought because I was kind of playing on the right wing, and to have Trent as 66 then me as 67, I thought it looked quite good.”
Elliott has made 19 appearances for Liverpool's first-team so far this season and has also represented England at youth level. But when reflecting on his rise, the midfielder has admitted he is not a fan of the attention he receives.
He said: “I don’t really like the attention to be honest. I leave it to my football. I can take myself away from it and away from the pitch.
“I need to be humble and confident in your own way, just as everyone else does, but when you’re on the pitch you need to have that swagger about yourself.
“My dad’s always drilled that into me – cross the line and that’s it, let your football do your talking. Have that confidence, have that swagger, but as soon as you come off you need to chill out, compose yourself and sort of come back down to earth.
“Be yourself and realise that, at the end of the day, no one’s better than anyone else in life. Some people are just fortunate in what they get to do.”
