Liverpool will not rush Under 23 captain Harry Wilson into first-team
- Liverpool will not rush to fast-track Harry Wilson into the first-team
- The 20-year-old scored 28 times for the Under 23s last season
- He has managed only one 25-minute first-team appearance for the senior side
Liverpool Under 23s captain Harry Wilson will be given all the time he needs to fulfil his potential and coach Neil Critchley insists there is no rush to fast-track him into the first team.
The 20-year-old scored 28 times for the reserves last season but managed just one 25-minute first-team appearance with a number of his contemporaries - notably the younger Ben Woodburn - overtaking him in the pecking order.
Wilson is no stranger to exposure at senior level, becoming Wales' youngest international in October 2013 aged 16 years and 207 days, and will lead the under 23s against Tottenham in their first appearance at Anfield on Friday as they seek to extend their 100 per cent Premier League 2 record.
Under 23s captain Harry Wilson will be given time to fulfill his potential at Liverpool
The 20-year-old Welsh international scored 28 times for the reserves last season
Critchley, who will be making his coaching debut at the stadium, is happy for him to continue to develop at that level after an Achilles injury interrupted his summer training.
'You know there will be ups and downs and you may have to give them more time than you thought,' he said.
'Who knows where they are going to end up when they are 23, 24 and fully-fledged professionals?
'Harry has had a little setback with his injury but it will be interesting to see where he is in six months' time.'
He has managed only one 25-minute first-team appearance for the senior side
The injury cost Wilson, who scored twice in Monday's win at West Ham, a chance to go out on loan for the first part of the season so Critchley is looking forward to working with him for the foreseeable future.
'He's hit the ground running and it will do him no harm in building his confidence and playing for us in the next few months,' he added.
'Then when we get to January, I'm sure we'll revisit his plan for the future again.'
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