Forgotten Liverpool midfielder compared to Steven Gerrard after England U21 final
Three Liverpool players featured in England's victorious Under-21 European championships final on Saturday, as Lee Carsley's side retained its hold on the trophy.
A nervy, topsy-turvy game in Bratislava resulted in the Three Lions earning a 3-2 victory over Germany in extra-time, just 10 days after losing to the same opposition in the group stages. But England matured over the tournament, aided by the contribution of Harvey Elliott.
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The 22-year-old was voted Player of the Tournament, with the Liverpool midfielder netting four goals across the knockout games, including a brace in the semi-final win over the Netherlands, and then the opening goal in the final.
READ MORE: Harvey Elliott transfer truth clear after Liverpool midfielder stars for England U21s
READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp jokes about Arne Slot's Liverpool success — 'I wondered'
It was a reminder, if needed, of his undeniable quality and readiness to play a regular role in the Premier League next season.
Likewise, Jarell Quansah, another player picked infrequently by Arne Slot throughout the campaign, was an integral part of England's success and played every single minute of the competition in Slovakia.
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A third, even more peripheral figure from the 2024/25 season, made an invaluable contribution to the final. Tyler Morton didn't play a single Premier League minute for the title-winners, and was limited to five cup appearances this term.
After coming in as a substitute late in the first half, it was his arching cross that was turned in by Jonathan Rowe's header in the final to hand England victory. On commentary duty, Joe Hart even claimed his ball from deep was 'Steven Gerrard-esque'.
'The cross… it just tells him to go and score the goal,' claimed Conor Coady during Channel 4's post-match analysis.
Morton played the full 90 minutes in the quarter-final win over Spain. -Credit:Getty Images
For Morton, another Liverpool youth-team graduate, the tournament could act as a spring board. The midfielder, like Elliott and Quansah, is expected to leave permanently following a campaign which will be seen as a backward step.
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Morton has played 14 times for Liverpool, nine of which came in the 2021/22 season. Since then his career hasn't panned out as he hoped.
After spending the previous two seasons on loan at Blackburn Rovers and Hull City, there was hope that this term was going to be a breakthrough campaign. Instead, it proved to be a hugely frustrating one, which was impacted by a shoulder injury.
He ended it playing for the Under-21s, just months after he was linked with a January move to West Ham United.
Tyler Morton endured frustrating 2024/25 campaign -Credit:Getty Images
'When you're not playing, your confidence gets shut down a little bit. So, it's nice to come back and play here and play with unbelievable footballers, unbelievable youngsters,' the 22-year-old told BBC Sport during the tournament.
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'It's been the toughest season mentally for me. Obviously, I've coped with it very well because I've got good people around me, but it's been very tough. I think I've coped with it as well as I possibly could.
'I think when you're not playing as a footballer who's as hungry as I am, it does hurt. It's tough, especially when, in my opinion, I wanted to go out and I wanted to play and I wanted to go on loan and get my game time.
'But having chatted with the manager, having to stay, it could have worked out a lot worse than it did. It probably could have worked out a lot better than it did.'
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