Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has picked out two young players in his squad who have already impressed him during pre-season.
The Reds head off to Germany on Saturday to ramp up their preparations for the new season and begin their run of friendlies, with Klopp keen to take a closer look at some of the emerging gems of the academy and the young loanees who have returned to the club this summer.
Klopp picked out one of each for particular praise: 17-year-old academy winger Ben Doak and 20-year-old right-back Conor Bradley, who spent last season on loan with Bolton in League One.
"So, there are now not too many new players but [we have] a lot of young players, of course, in and young players for who the door is open, who can play a different role next season," he explained to LFCTV.
"They are all a year older, looking really good – Conor Bradley looking really good, Ben Doak really good, Bobby Clark grew somehow, which is normal!
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"They all can play a slightly different role if they want and yeah, how I said, there is an open door for that. So, bring it all together and train as much as somehow possible, having short ways back to the bed or to the canteen or restaurant, that’s good. Yeah, having two games and the first two games we play will be interesting, of course."
Doak, a right winger by trade, joined last summer from Celtic and managed five senior appearances under Klopp, including two substitute appearances in the Premier League.
The 17-year-old Scotland youth international has plenty of loan interest this summer but Klopp appears keen to take a closer look at Doak before deciding what the short-term future holds for him.
As for Bradley, who was name-checked by Klopp towards the end of last season after an excellent loan spell with Bolton, the right-back could end up staying at Liverpool to offer competition for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Jurgen Klopp names two Liverpool youngsters who have impressed in pre-season.