Stewart Downing has praised the maturity of his former teammate and rising Liverpool starlet Harvey Elliott as he continues to shine for the Reds.
The pair share an unlikely connection with teenager Elliott having been loaned to Ewood Park last season, which turned out to be the final year before Downing hung up his boots. Though the ex-Red was largely restricted to appearances from the bench as his career came to a close, for Elliott it was an opportunity to prove that he deserved to be part of Liverpool’s first team..
Playing as a winger, the 18-year-old scored seven league goals and supplied 11 assists as he thrived throughout his season-long audition in the Championship. Now occupying a different position for the Reds, ex-Liverpool star Downing believes his maturity is why Elliott has been entrusted to play a more central role under Jurgen Klopp.
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“He found himself playing in the middle, he didn’t do that a lot for us at Blackburn, maybe once or twice. But he took the position at the start of the season, playing ahead of some big players,” Downing told liverpoolfc.com .
“You can see his ability for a young player, he’s quite mature for his age; the way he plays and his positioning, he’s not a young player who runs everywhere and is undisciplined, he’s quite mature for his years.
“Going to Liverpool and being coached by Klopp before he went on loan is massive for him because he's playing with world-class players every day, the standard will be unbelievable really. Barring injury at the start, he would have had a massive run in the team and you’ve got to give him credit for that. He’s definitely got the ability.”
After being handed his third consecutive league start by Klopp in September, Elliott suffered an ankle injury against Leeds United that saw him sidelined until February. On his emotional return, the midfielder produced an impressive finish to score in front of the Kop against Cardiff City in the FA Cup.
Downing himself will be looking to replicate that on a much smaller scale when he takes part in the Liverpool legends match against a Barcelona XI at Anfield this weekend. The 37-year-old will be lining up alongside his former teammates Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard for the first time since 2013.
“Once you’re out there you want to win and I can imagine the lads I’ve played with, Stevie and Carra, they don’t like to lose,” he said. “I’m a bit nervous, to be honest! But I’m really looking forward to it, as soon as the lads asked me to play I’ve been trying to tick over and keep fit a little bit. I can’t wait, I’m really looking forward to it.”
