Steven Gerrard blown away by Lewis Koumas as Liverpool legend makes massive first-team prediction

Gerrard has called on Iraola to keep faith with Koumas following his impressive full debut against Man City. In a match where the Reds were missing key attacking figures Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak, the young Wales international was handed his first Premier League start against Enzo Maresca’s side. The occasion was a massive test for the teenager, who held his own in a challenging environment at Anfield.

Even though the hosts suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat, Koumas was a bright spark during his 75 minutes on the pitch before being substituted for Rio Ngumoha. Gerrard acknowledged that while the forward is still raw, he demonstrated the temperament required to succeed at the highest level. "I came through Liverpool's academy with his dad,” Gerrard said, as quoted by Wales Online. “His dad was an awesome player, two-footed, different type of midfielder, Jason Koumas. I had some great days with him when we were young kids, when football was fun, before it becomes serious. Unbelievable player, great family."

Gerrard, who knows exactly what it takes to transition from the youth ranks to the Anfield spotlight, was particularly impressed by the bravery Koumas showed. Facing the Cityzens is never an easy task for a debutant, yet the winger appeared unfazed by the magnitude of the fixture. Gerrard highlighted the player's work rate and willingness to battle for the shirt as his standout attributes during the match.

"Delighted for him, and I'm an academy boy. Roots. I love seeing young kids get opportunities and take them, and he was thrown in at the deep end yesterday. I know he's had a couple of pockets of minutes, but yesterday was Man City at home. What a game for your first Premier League start. And you know what, he'd done himself proud, he'd done the academy proud," Gerrard explained.

The legendary midfielder was quick to point out that Koumas still has areas of his game that require refinement. However, he believes the foundation is there for a very successful career if the club continues to nurture his development properly. The emphasis now is on ensuring the Wales international receives the right individual coaching to help him bridge the gap between a promising prospect and a regular Premier League performer.

"He was a little bit loose at times, so there's a lot to work on, a lot of potential there. But in terms of rolling your sleeves up, being up for it, fighting for your team, representing the supporters, representing the academy, he didn't look like an academy player out there, he played like a man. I'm proud of him. I really am. I'm delighted that he took his chance. And what he showed me as a Liverpool fan yesterday is he can be part of this group moving forward, because he will improve," Gerrard added.

Gerrard was not the only former Liverpool star to be left impressed by the youngster’s application. Jamie Carragher also weighed in on the performance, suggesting that Koumas and fellow youngster Victor Munoz actually outperformed some of the club’s more expensive signings. The pundit voiced his frustration that the more established names failed to provide the support that the teenagers deserved during the heavy defeat.

"We need [Bradley] Barcola and we need [Florian] Wirtz to step up and help [Victor] Munoz and Koumas at the top of the pitch. Koumas and Munoz were better than the two £100m players. That can’t be right. It’s not right. It wasn’t a decision for anyone in the stadium when Liverpool went down to 10 men,” Carragher stated.