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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Hannah Pinnock

Liverpool's 2019 Youth Cup winners: Where are they now?

Liverpool lifted the FA Youth Cup in 2019 following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Manchester City at the academy stadium.

The Reds overcame Portsmouth, Accrington Stanley, Wigan, Bury and Watford before facing City in the final showpiece. Liverpool found themselves 1-0 down at half-time following a goal from Nabil Touaizi before Bobby Duncan equalised for Barry Lewtas’ side late on.

The match was eventually decided on penalties and all five of Liverpool's penalty takers buried their efforts to secure the win after Cole Palmer missed his spot-kick for City. Captain Paul Glatzel lifted the trophy for the Reds but a lot has changed in the last three years as some of the team remain with the club, while others play their football elsewhere. Here's a look at where Liverpool's FA Youth Cup winning side are now.

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Vitezslav Jaros

Czech youth international Vitezslav Jaros joined Liverpool from Slavia Prague's academy two years previous and the goalkeeper remains part of the Reds' youth set-up to this day. He was promoted to the under 23's side at the end of the 2018/19 season but has since been out on loan at Irish side St. Patrick's Athletic, as well as Notts County for the second-half of last season.

Now 21, Jaros is currently on loan at League Two side Stockport County for the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign. The shot-stopper has so far made seven appearances in all competitions this season.

Neco Williams

Neco Williams is one of just a handful of players from the cup-winning squad that has seen plenty of first-team football at Liverpool. The young defender also joined the club's academy in 2017 and went on to make over 30 appearances under Jurgen Klopp in all competitions - 20 of those came in the Premier League and Champions League.

The 21-year-old spent the second-half of last season on loan at Fulham and was part of the team that earned promotion from the Championship back into the top flight. He departed Anfield on a permanent basis this summer, completing a £16m move to newly-promoted Nottingham Forest.

He's so far played 90 minutes in all six of Forest's Premier League matches so far this season, picking up points against both West Ham and Everton.

Yasser Larouci

Left back Yasser Larouci was another youngster that joined Liverpool's academy in the summer of 2017, signing from French second division side AC Le Havre. He made just two first team appearances during his four-year spell on Merseyside, both of which came in the FA Cup.

He eventually left Liverpool on a free transfer in the summer of 2021 and returned to his homeland France and joined Ligue 1 side Troyes. The 21-year-old has now racked up 20 appearances for his new club and registered one assist.

Rhys Williams

Central defender Rhys Williams is another academy star that has seen plenty of first team football at Liverpool. Also 21, the England youth international made just shy of 20 appearances in the 2020/21 campaign amid a defensive injury crisis that saw Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez all ruled out with long-term injuries.

He was loaned out to Swansea for the first-half of last season and is now on loan at Championship club Blackpool for the remainder of the current campaign.

Morgan Boyes

Wales youth international Morgan Boyes rose through the ranks at Liverpool and made two first team appearances during his time at the club. He did, however, make 70 appearances for the academy teams during his time at Anfield.

Boyes had a brief spell on loan at Fleetwood Town in the 2020/21 campaign, but he made just four appearances for the League One side. He later joined Scottish side Livingston on a free transfer back in January of this year and has so far made nine appearances for his new club.

Leighton Clarkson

Leighton Clarkson remains an exciting prospect at Liverpool and the 20-year-old has made three appearances for the first team so far. He also featured in some of the team's preseason games this summer and racked up over 30 minutes of action.

The midfielder was one of a number of young players to depart on loan in the summer transfer window and he went on to join Scottish side Aberdeen for the remainder of the season. However, he's currently serving a two-match suspension following a dangerous tackle on Ross County's Callum Johnson.

Abdi Sharif

England youth international Abdi Sharif was promoted to Liverpool's under-18s in 2017 and he made over 70 appearances for the academy teams. The midfielder had been with the club since the age of six but left in the summer of 2021.

He was a free agent for the 2021/22 campaign but returned to football this summer as he joined Wigan's under-21 side following a successful trial with the club.

Jake Cain

21-year-old Jake Cain remains in Liverpool's academy and has already made six appearances so far in Premier League 2 and the EFL trophy. He spent last season on loan with League Two side Newport County but returned to Merseyside in the summer.

He's so far made just one first team appearance under Jurgen Klopp as he played 90 minutes of Liverpool's FA Cup fourth round replay against Shrewsbury Town back in the 2019/20 season.

Paul Glatzel

21-year-old Glatzel captained the cup-winning side in the final and remains in Liverpool's academy. He's yet to make a first team appearance for the Reds, but had a successful loan spell with Tranmere Rovers last season.

He returned to Prenton Park this summer and will remain with the League Two side for the rest of the 2022/23 campaign.

Bobby Duncan

Duncan, also 21, joined Liverpool's academy from Manchester City in 2018 and spent just one season with the Reds. After the campaign ended in impressive fashion with the Youth Cup victory, he then caused controversy when his desire leave was made public by his then-agent Saif Rubie.

The club reached an agreement to sell him to Italian side Fiorentina and he made 12 appearances for their academy side before he returned to England a year later. He joined Derby County in 2020 and made seven appearances for their under-21s and one for their first team in his two years at Pride Park.

He joined Spanish third tier side Real Balompedica Linense this summer but is yet to make an appearance for the club.

Elijah Dixon-Bonner

21-year-old Elijah Dixon-Bonner joined Liverpool from Arsenal's academy back in 2015 and remained with the Reds for seven years. He featured for the first team on three occasions and over 100 times for the club's academy teams.

He departed Anfield this summer and remains a free agent.

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