Loan Watch: Several Young Reds On The Mark Early In The Season

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Crawley Town v Northampton Town - Sky Bet League Two Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images

James Balagizi, Conor Bradley, and Leighton Clarkson have all found the back of the net multiple times in the early days of their loans while Lucy Parry has also scored one. A plethora of other players have also seen time with their temporary teams.

Over the past half-decade, Liverpool have built up one of the most impressive youth academies in the UK. Many of the youngsters have proven what they can at the youth levels, and are ready to see where they stand with minutes at a senior level. With an absolutely stacked Liverpool senior team, however, there aren’t enough minutes for most of the Academy players to get any meaningful minutes. Most of those players have been sent out on loan this year, with a few hitting the ground running.

EFL Championship

Tyler Morton
After making his name known by making several senior team appearances last season, Tyler Morton has continued the trend of Liverpool players going on loan to Blackburn in the Championship. While the team has started off very well, sitting in third through five games, the midfielder has struggled break into the lineup for consistent minutes thus far. He has only seeing 65 minutes across four substitute appearances in league play, but he did play a full 90 minutes and had an assist for the opening goal in a 4-0 win over Hartlepool in the EFL Cup.

Rhys Williams
Elsewhere in the Championship, Rhys Williams has been a stalwart for Blackpool. The central defender has started and played the full match in all five games for the club. Williams and Blackpool are currently mid-table, sitting in 11th.


EFL League One

Conor Bradley
Conor Bradley has a lot of competition ahead of him at right back for Liverpool, but he is making his name known early on in his loan to Bolton Wanderers in League One. The 19 year old has started every league match thus far, and has shown his attacking skills with two well-taken goals. The first was an absolute rocket against Salford in the EFL Cup.

Conor Bradley with a sublime strike to open his account for Bolton, in tonight’s EFL cup tie against Salford.

That’s one goal and two assists in his first three outings for #BWFC. pic.twitter.com/LfAGqrgHDi

— Keifer MacDonald (@KeiferMacd) August 9, 2022

He followed that up with his first league goal in his very next game. Bradley made a great late run, and then showed fantastic composure to receive the ball under pressure, turn away from the defender, and slot the ball home from close range.

Conor Bradley opens the scoring to put #BWFC ahead! 1-0 pic.twitter.com/ieM7w3mFjM

— BWFCBWFC (@bwfcbwfc) August 16, 2022

EFL League Two

James Balagizi
18 year old James Balagizi has personally enjoyed a nice start with Crawley Town in League Two. The midfielder has been a regular since joining, playing in all six matches, starting four. While the team has struggled with results, Balagizi scored his first two senior level goals against Northampton town. With the squad facing injuries, Balagizi was deployed as an attacking winger, and he finished off two moves with great late runs.

Adam Lewis
22 year old Adam Lewis is still toiling away in League Two while on loan to Newport County. The left back/left winger is a regular starter for the club. He most recently scored on own goal against Tranmere.

Vitezslav Jaros
The Czech keeper is on loan with Stockport County in League Two. He kept two clean sheets in his first two matches for the club.

2️⃣ games, 2️⃣ clean sheets for big Vit #StockportCounty pic.twitter.com/OJ8Npyzyb2

— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) August 14, 2022

Things have not gone quite as well since, with the club conceding four goals over the next two matches, though Jaros is said to have played well.


EFL Non-League

Marcelo Pitaluga
Brazilian Marcelo Pitaluga is seen as the next hot goalkeeping prospect for Liverpool. He is on loan with non-league Macclesfield FC. He has started both matches for the club, conceding one goal.


International Loans

Leighton Clarkson
Over in Scotland, 20 year old Leighton Clarkson has been lighting it up for Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership. The midfielder has scored two sensational goals in three matches. He came on as an injury sub the day after joining Aberdeen and hit a rocket into the top corner.



WHAT. A. GOAL

Leighton Clarkson.#StandFree | #cinchPrem pic.twitter.com/4mz4FIP3bL

— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) August 7, 2022

He followed that up two games later with a sensational free kick against St. Johnstone.

WHAT A HIT ⚽️

Let’s gooo @AberdeenFC pic.twitter.com/52FFcCaKlK

— Hannah McCook (@HannahMcCook) August 20, 2022

2️⃣ games, 2️⃣ clean sheets for big Vit #StockportCounty pic.twitter.com/OJ8Npyzyb2

— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) August 14, 2022

Owen Beck
Left back Owen Beck is also currently abroad, though in Portugal with FC Famalicão in the Primeira Liga. He has yet to feature in either of the two matches the club has played so far.

Billy Koumetio
19 year old central defender, lovingly called Large Billy on this site because, well, he’s really big, is also out of the country, playing with Austria Wien in the Austrian Bundesliga. He made started the two most recent games for the club, including the first leg of a Europa League playoff match.

Anderson Arroyo
The Colombian defender is on his 6th loan since joining the Liverpool Academy. He is currently with Deportivo Alaves in the Spanish Segunda. He has started one match of the two matches his club has played this season.

2️⃣ games, 2️⃣ clean sheets for big Vit #StockportCounty pic.twitter.com/OJ8Npyzyb2

— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) August 14, 2022

Jakub Ojrzynski
Polish goalkeeper Jakub Orjzynski joined a Random club for the season. That is, he joined Radmiak Random in the Polish Ekstraklasa (top division). While the club has started the season well, Orjzynski has yet to feature.


Liverpool FC Women

Lucy Parry
The 18 year old defender signed her first professional contract earlier this summer before heading to Scotland to join Hibernian FC. Parry scored her first senior goal against Motherwell in a 3-2 loss.

A cool, low finish from Lucy Parry after an inch-perfect cross into the box from Nor! Brilliant!

1️⃣ - 1️⃣ | 25' | #SWPL https://t.co/fYJvPvhhsN

— Hibernian Women (@HibernianWomen) August 21, 2022

Charlotte Clarke
Charlotte Clarke turned 22 on the date of her first start for West Brom in the FA WPL (third tier) North Division. Unfortunately things did not go well for her or her team on the day as West Brom conceded six goals in their opening match of the season.

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