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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Tom Coleman

The starlet tearing it up at Liverpool with a name Cardiff City and Wales fans will instantly recognise

When he was at his best, there weren't many in Welsh football whose talents burned as bright as Jason Koumas.

The former Cardiff City man was capable of jolting from sublime to infuriating in the blink of an eye. A player always capable of bring that drizzle of stardust, but simultaneously never quite fulfilled his full potential.

"You just couldn't rely on him," was the verdict once offered by John Toshack when reflecting on his time working with the forward during his time in the Wales camp.

READ MORE: In search of Jason Koumas, the Welsh football enigma who'd rather be left alone

Nevertheless, those who remember him at his best always do so with a smile, and he's still an undisputed cult hero in the capital, where he played over games for Cardiff City, and across the nation.

But now, just over seven years after playing his final game, the Koumas legacy is poised for another chapter.

Jason's son Lewis is currently on the books at his dad's boyhood team, Liverpool and, like his father, he's starting to get onlookers on their feet.

Having made an impressive rise through the youth ranks, the 16-year-old netted four goals in the club's opening under-18s clash against Middlesbrough on Saturday, with three of his strikes coming before half-time as part of a blistering display.

The young Reds ran out 6-2 winners, and there's clearly a fair amount of excitement around Lewis, or 'Louie' as he's know by his peers.

“He’s a good footballer. He’s very good at running without the ball, he is very good at running forwards. His movement and timing is excellent – and he likes to finish,” says U18s boss Marc Bridge-Wilkinson.

“He’s played in wide positions, as a midfielder, he’s even played at full-back for different age groups and he has played as a No 9 as well, but I don’t think he has ever played there consistently. I’ve told him well done. He obviously deserves a lot of credit. It was a fantastic performance.

“To score four goals at this level is something that doesn’t happen too often, so he deserves a lot of credit. His performance was really, really good but there are still big strides we can take. We can still help him improve further.”

Lewis arrived as an under-11s player back in 2016, and actually made his debut for the under-18s last season.

Initially a midfielder, it seems likely he'll be implemented up front again going forward, although he still has some way to go before he takes home a match ball.

"All the boys who score three goals at this level don’t get the matchball because it’s not a real game," says Bridge-Wilkinson. "When you score three in the first-team you get a matchball. First-team games only!"

Perhaps one day...

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