Harvey Elliott: Liverpool’s Mr. Reliable
By: Anthony Tazbaz
Image Credit: Jannik Skorna
Player Name: Harvey Elliott
Age: 21
Height: 1.70m (5 ft, 6 in)
Foot: Left
Nationality: England 🏴
Position: Central Attacking Midfielder
Club: Liverpool FC 🏴
Current Market Value (as of publication date): €35m
"It's not like I go back and think 'Where did we go wrong here and there?' but if I regret one thing a little bit it's that Harvey didn't play often enough maybe," said then-Liverpool FC manager Jürgen Klopp about Harvey Elliott’s playing time before the end of the 2023-24 season, Klopp’s last at Anfield.
The German manager, who brought Liverpool back to their glory with a 2019 UEFA Champions League (UCL) title and a long-awaited Premier League (EPL) title the following year, helped strengthen the development of young midfielder Harvey Elliott at the professional level.
Elliott’s development has so far culminated into a reliable Liverpool squad member for many years to come.
Early Years
Born in Cherstey, near Surrey, Elliott grew up as a Liverpool supporter and had an immense love for the game of football. While he would enjoy playing the beautiful game, to refine his discipline, Elliott’s father trained him to develop a professional attitude towards training, which we can agree is far more important than padding statistics during matches.
During Elliott's adolescence, Liverpool league rivals Chelsea FC rejected the youngster, ostensibly for being too short. Instead, in 2013, Elliott joined the U-11 squad of then-EPL club Queens Park Rangers. In 2018, Elliott departed from Queen Park Rangers's academy and joined that of then-newly promoted EPL — and fellow London-based — club Fulham FC.
Early Professional Years
When joining Fulham, Elliott integrated into the U-18 squad, while also appearing sporadically for the senior team. On September 25 2018, aged 15 years and 174 days, Elliott made his first professional appearance with the first team during the 2018-19 EFL Cup third round — a match against EFL Championship club Millwall FC — in which he came on as a substitute. The match ended in a 3-1 win for Fulham. To this day, he remains the youngest first-team player — I.e., not signed to an academy contract — to feature in that competition.
On May 4 2019 — then aged 16 years and 30 days — Elliott became the youngest player to appear in an EPL match at the time. He came on as a substitute for André-Frank Zambo Anguissa in a 1-0 loss against Wolverhampton Wanderers. In his first professional season at the London-based club, Elliott appeared in a total two EPL matches.
Becoming a Liverpool Player and Loan at Blackburn
On July 28 2019, Elliott signed for Liverpool’s U-23 team; the northern English club paid Fulham a transfer fee worth €1.7 million. In his first season, Elliott earned eight appearances in all competitions, while also featuring in 20 matches for the U-21 team in all competitions, during which he produced four goals and nine assists. As a result, he could not claim a medal as a member of Liverpool’s 2019-20 EPL title-winning squad. Despite his limited number of appearances, Elliott earned a medal for the club’s 2019 UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup titles.
The following season, Elliott played for EFL Championship club Blackburn Rovers on a one-year loan stint. During that time, the Englishman broke out into a player of professional calibre, having produced seven goals and eleven assists in 42 matches across all competitions. Jaquob Crooke, a Blackburn Rovers writer, stated that Elliott’s “technical ability was evident from the early stages but his physical stature is what has impressed the most,” while also adding that “he isn’t bullied by opposition defenders [and] he’s not afraid to make a tackle when necessary.”
A Star Rises at Anfield
On July 1 2021, Elliott departed Liverpool’s U-23 squad, and signed with their first team. In his first season as a full-time first-team player, he saw limited playing time, having featured in only 11 matches across all competitions. During that period, he scored his first professional goal against EFL Championship club Cardiff City in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Liverpool ultimately won that match by a 3-1 score, and hoisted that competition’s title — a first in 10 years — during which Elliott appeared in the final as a substitute and scored the club’s ninth penalty in the penalty shootout.
The Liverpool midfielder also received mentorship from teammate and star forward Mohammed Salah, who provided him advice about maintaining a healthy diet and robust exercise regimen. Elliott also appeared in his first match in the UCL, Europe’s most prestigious club competition. That season, Liverpool lost in the final against La Liga giants Real Madrid by a 1-0 score.
In 2022-23, despite Liverpool experiencing a challenging season, Elliott enhanced his playing style and efficiency on the pitch. In 43 matches across all competitions, he produced five goals — two of which were in UCL — and two assists. Having received significant playing time, Elliott earned Klopp‘s trust and became a perennial squad member for one of England’s best clubs. In addition to his improvements, Elliott also helped Liverpool win the 2022 Football Association Community Shield after defeating defending EPL winners Manchester City by a 3-1 score.
In 2023-24, the Englishman blossomed into a reliable and bonafide star player among a group of men. He tweaked and enhanced his game, which propelled him into a more effective playmaker and resulted in scoring four goals and providing 11 assists in 53 matches across all competitions. During that season, Elliott also helped The Reds win a second EFL Cup title in three years after obtaining a 1-0 win against Chelsea after extra-time.
This season, under new club manager Arne Slot, Elliott made only one appearance as a substitute for a total of seven minutes. However, while on international duty with England’s U-21 squad in September, Elliott broke his ankle, which has been keeping him on the sidelines for a number of weeks. On the bright side, reports indicate that Elliott may return to action within the coming days.
International Career (U-17 and Beyond)
In October 2018, Elliott earned his first call-up to England’s U-17 squad, which was coached by current Leicester City manager Steve Cooper. The following month, the young midfielder scored his first international goal, which proved to be the team’s only goal in a 3-1 loss against longtime rivals Ireland.
The Englishman featured in an additional seven matches with the U-17 squad, including a number of matches during the 2019 Syrenka Cup, a U-17 friendly tournament held in preparation for the UEFA European Under-17 Championship. On September 10 2019, Elliott scored the opening goal in that competition’s final against Poland’s U-17 squad, which ended 2-2 after extra-time, with England winning the duel on penalties.
In March 2022, Elliott earned his first appearance with England’s U-21 squad. He also obtained a position on that squad for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. In that competition, Elliott made five appearances, during which he scored one goal against Germany’s U-21 squad in their final match of the group stage. Ultimately, England won the tournament after defeating Spain 1-0 in the final. Since then, Elliott made seven appearances for England U-21 squad in their campaign to qualify for the next UEFA European Under-21 Championship. During this ongoing quest, the 21-year-old has produced seven goals and four assists.
Ascending Transfer Value
Source: Transfermarkt
Upon embarking on the journey as a professional footballer, in August 2019, Elliott — aged only 16 years old and playing with Liverpool’s U-23 squad — boasted a transfer value of €4 million.
In December 2020, while on loan at Blackburn, the Englishman’s transfer value doubled to €8 million. By the time Elliott’s one-year loan spell at Blackburn ended, his transfer value nearly doubled once again to €15 million.
Then, in March 2022 — aged 18 and a first-team player at Liverpool — Elliott saw his transfer value increase by €7 million, totalling €22 million. In September of that year, the English youth international’s transfer value reached €35 million. Despite his transfer value dropping to €30 million in December 2023, it recovered to €35 million in March 2024, which has remained the same as of writing.
So far, over the last four seasons, Elliott’s transfer value increased steadily, from €4 million to €35 million, making him the 11th and 28th most-valuable player on Liverpool’s squad and among English players, respectively.
His development, which has been enhanced on a near-quarterly basis, should undoubtedly lead to a sizeable transfer valuation in the coming years. By the time his current contract expires in June 2027, it would not be astonishing to see the Englishman’s valuation reach approximately €70-€80 million. However, a slightly conservative (and personal) estimate would range between €55 million and €70 million.
Ultimately, Elliott’s work ethic and talent should — barring injuries and other possible, yet uncontrollable setbacks — enable him to attain a valuation closer to €80 million than €55 million. In an era of young players with talent and impeccable athleticism dominating the beautiful game, a young player with a strong work ethic and a veteran-style leadership will go a long way and will prove essential to winning football’s glorious titles.
Playing Style
Although Transfermarkt notes that Elliott plays as a central attacking midfielder, he can also hold his own as a right winger, and generally serves as Salah’s replacement.
Elliott’s versatility cannot be understated. He is renowned for his passing, especially when serving as a second passer to a 1-2 or 1-2-3 passing scheme. Although his crossing is not perfect, it has served him and his teammates well, having resulted in several assists to important Liverpool goals.
In addition to his passing skills, the 21-year-old also possesses a strong knowledge with respect to proper positioning when in attack. This trait enables him to receive a pass and complete another effortlessly. As a result, his passes add substance to an attacking play, often serving as through balls or in-swinging crosses into crucial areas within the 18-yard-box.
In other instances on attack, Elliott is not afraid to take his opponent head-on. As a technical dribbler and an agile and quick short-distance runner, the Liverpool youngster generally has no issue gaining the upper hand over his opponents. As a forward, it always helps — and enriches one’s performance — when the feeding player can out-class opposing defenders and complete effective passes.
Moreover, the English youth international has an incredible shot. For example, a number of his Premier League goals came from shots outside of the box. Although he has proven to score from long distances, such goals are also a result of his intelligent positioning and ability to find and create space in which he can be a lethal scoring threat, regardless of the distance to the goal.
Ultimately, Elliott possesses such skills due to his impeccable work ethic. Pundits and coaches constantly praise his work ethic and dedication to the game. While he may not be the most built or naturally skilled player on the pitch when playing against major clubs, his performances often stand out in comparison to star players on the opposing team, and even on his own team. These performances are owed to his effort and distinct mindset of always outworking his opponents, whether it is during matches or on the training grounds.
Player Comparison: What Has Been Said
Although players developed primarily by Klopp blossom into unique professionals, one platform — All Football — compares Elliott to former English midfielder David Beckham. The retired English legend played a similar hybrid position to that of Elliott. Beckham was also renowned for his passing, and let us never forget, for his incredible shots.
However, because of Elliott’s build and his lower skill level to that of Beckham, one can argue that Elliott exhibits a stronger work ethic. Although a significant contingent of supporters may prefer Beckham’s individual skills, attacking flare and trademark shooting — especially during free-kicks — coaches will undoubtedly prefer a hard workers’ mentality that can blend seamlessly into any system. (Do not forget that he may be on a mission to make Chelsea regret their decision of not signing him before turning pro…)
One for the Future
While Elliott can improve every aforementioned aspect of his game, his stature as an EPL player is unquestionable. That said, he can also become a leading player, or perhaps a star player at a major club. It is difficult to disagree that this outcome is already starting to materialize. If the English youth international can also improve his vision as a playmaker in central attacking midfield, his ceiling as a player will be taller than that of Anfield’s stands, and definitely those of Goodison Park while it is still standing. Ultimately, Elliott is a quintessential piece to Liverpool’s future, especially with Salah likely playing in his final season at Anfield.
However, one can only hope that when returning into match form following an injury, manager Slot can use him properly. It would be a travesty of epic proportions if a new manager mismanages a young player with such potential, especially after returning from a significant injury. Such events have occurred, but Elliott’s talent and work ethic suggest that this may not be the case. If any young player can overcome such obstacles, it would be Elliott.
As the legendary Robert Downey Junior once said: “Nothing will serve you better than a strong work ethic… And it’s something you can’t teach.”
The graph detailing Harvey Elliott’s transfer value will be added to the website soon.
Comment below which player we should cover next in our Ones to Watch section.
