A total of 13 players made their maiden appearance at Anfield for Liverpool’s first team in Monday’s pre-season friendlies against Athletic Club.
The Reds beat LaLiga side Athletic Club twice on Monday evening as a mix of youth and experience thrashed their counterparts 5-1 before the first-choice side won 3-2.
Such has been the high turnover of players in Arne Slot‘s squad this summer there was no shortage of Anfield bows across the two games.
Add to that the need for a bigger squad, with 34 players featuring overall, and it made for a number of firsts.
There were 13 players who made their first appearances for Liverpool’s senior side at Anfield over those five-plus hours against Athletic Club:
- Giorgi Mamardashvili, goalkeeper
- Freddie Woodman, goalkeeper
- Armin Pecsi, goalkeeper
- Amara Nallo, centre-back
- Wellity Lucky, centre-back
- Jeremie Frimpong, right-back
- Milos Kerkez, left-back
- Tommy Pilling, midfielder
- Michael Laffey, midfielder
- Florian Wirtz, attacking midfielder
- Trent Kone-Doherty, winger
- Hugo Ekitike, striker
- Will Wright, striker
Slot had the opportunity to make it 15, but after using all of his substitutes in the opening friendly he allowed youngsters Kieran Morrison and Josh Davidson to go unused in the second.
It will have been a momentous occasion for all of those involved, however, not least those called up from the academy in order to feature.
For striker Will Wright it was particularly significant, with his £200,000 move from Salford City only officially announced hours previous.
Wright had undergone a medical last week after a deal was struck which This Is Anfield understands fell below the terms offered by Arsenal.
Unveiled at the AXA Training Centre on Monday morning, he then replaced Florian Wirtz late in the second half of the later friendly – almost capping it with a goal, only for his effort on the break to be saved by Unai Simon.
The 17-year-old will not be the only one to come away feeling inspired after his first taste of Anfield as a Liverpool first-team player.
But all 13 of those players will be aiming to ensure there are much bigger things to come in a red shirt.
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