Liverpool are set to blood their latest Academy product in tonight's Capital One Cup clash with Middlesbrough with Brendan Rodgers planning to give teenage midfielder Jordan Rossiter the nod.
The 17-year-old has been making waves under Alex Inglethorpe's guidance at the Reds' Kirby Academy recently, and those in the know have compared him to a certain Liverpudlian who currently wears the number 8 shirt at Anfield.
Rodgers has shown that he's not afraid to give youth a chance, handing a 16-year-old Jerome Sinclair his debut two years ago to make him Liverpool's youngest-ever player and then moulding Raheem Sterling into English football's great white hope.
Hopes are high that Rossiter will be the next success story from the Reds production line, but what can we expect him to bring to the party if he makes his bow against Boro tonight?
Background
The 17-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks at Kirby, making his Under-18 debut on his 15th birthday, before forcing his way into Liverpool's Under-19 NextGen side where, still aged 15, made his debut as a sub against Inter Milan, which got Robbie Fowler rather excited:
No pressure there then, Jordan.
And as well as winning praise from God, Jamie Carragher has also chipped in.
"I like the look of him," the former Reds centre-back told Liverpool's official website.
"He’s got a bit of character and steel that me and Stevie have had. He’s a great talent."
His impressive form last season saw him make the bench a couple of times last season, as he became a staple of Liverpool's Under-21 teams before picking up the Liverpool Academy Player of the Season award at the end of the campaign.
Strengths
There's a lot to like about Rossiter's game.
Best deployed as a deep-lying playmaker, Rossiter is an excellent distributor with both feet and will move the ball around the park intelligently. Further fulfilling the modern sitting midfielder mould, he's strong in the tackle, evident by the fact that he's consistently been playing ahead of his age group over the previous three seasons.
He gets another tick for his mobility and is comfortable on the ball with either foot.
This highlight reel of Rossiter taking on Manchester United in the Under-21 league from the start of last season show just what he brings to the middle of the park: tidy passing, intelligent movement and the ability to both break down attacks and launch moves forwards.
Weaknesses
It's hard to pick out a glaring weakness in Rossiter's game, as he has all the attitudes he needs for to fill a central midfield role, as well as a down-to-earth temperament and excellent work ethic that helped Jamie Carragher fulfil his potential at Anfield.
The main pitfall could be the weight of expectation, as Robbie Fowler isn't the first - and won't be the last - to make the Steven Gerrard comparison.
As with the great majority of young English players at big clubs, he will also face a tough task in breaking through into a first-team packed with established internationals.
What are his prospects for this season?
If, as expected, Rossiter gets the nod against Boro tonight, then he could do with making an impression if he wants to force his way into the first-team squad reckoning this season.
This is largely down to the competition for places in the centre of the Liverpool midfield, with reports of skipper Steven Gerrard's demise currently being very much exaggerated, plus the presence of future Kop skipper in-waiting Jordan Henderson, superb prospect Emre Can and the reliable Lucas Leiva, who failed to secure a move away from Anfield in the transfer window.
That means that the Capital One Cup is Rossiter's best opportunity to shine for the first team, while he can continue his development in the Under-21 league and the UEFA Youth League, where he skippered the Reds in their 4-0 opening win against Ludogorets last week.
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