Why Liverpool want to avoid Luke Littler repeat with teenage wonderkids after Carabao Cup & FA Cup heroics as Jurgen Klopp hails 'exceptional talents' Jayden Danns & Lewis Koumas

At the age of just 16, Littler became a global sporting sensation when making the final of the World Darts Championship at the start of 2024. His every move is now dissected in minute detail, with pressure lumped onto his young shoulders every time that he takes to the oche.

Liverpool have found their own collection of teenage stars in football circles, with the likes of Jayden Danns, Lewis Koumas, Jarell Quansah, James McConnell, Conor Bradley and Bobby Clark seeing Carabao Cup final game time before getting among the goals in an FA Cup fifth-round win over Southampton on Wednesday.

Klopp is excited by the potential at his disposal, but has said of curbing expectations: “I understand it 100 per cent but it is a little bit like the new darts sensation [Littler], it is fine for tonight. But from tomorrow, leave the boys in the corner, please. And don’t ask: ‘Where are they now? Where are they now? Where are they now?’ They have a lot to improve and a lot to learn. And everyone who is with us, we should have our moments, they will have more moments than they ever would have expected, probably, so that is one thing.

“They are exceptional talents but of course it is not natural that a boy, 18, is calm as you like [for Danns’ first goal] and just chipped the ball there. The second goal I would have expected him to be there because he saw when Conor Bradley shot that the goalie cannot take it. He really arrives in these moments and he was hoping the keeper couldn’t hold it. We’ve said it a few times that the future does not look too bad but maybe the people don’t forget it when the transfer window opens. We have a couple of pretty promising players already, so don’t close the door for them with 12 signings. Joe Gomez saved our lives 20 times tonight and the kids kept us in the competition. So we can talk about the boys but but the real story today is Joe Gomez. The game he played today I have never seen before, with chaos around him, as a No.6, I couldn’t respect it more.”

Liverpool also gave minutes to 16-year-old Trey Nyoni against the Saints, as he became the club’s youngest player to feature in the FA Cup, and Klopp told ITV of another hot prospect: “We should not forget that Trey came on as well. What a player he is! Oh my God! With Trey you can see there is absolutely no body, I don’t know what his weight is, but he’s very mature on the ball. It is special and for me strange as well. I never had that, that you play with so many kids. It is a really interesting experience.”

Having collected one trophy after seeing off Chelsea in the Carabo Cup final, Liverpool have kept themselves in the hunt for another domestic prize, as they prepare to face arch-rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Klopp's side will be back in Premier League action on Saturday when taking in a trip to Nottingham Forest.