Tyler Morton made his first appearance of the season in Liverpool’s 5-1 win over West Ham in the Carabao Cup, after being ‘tested’ in various roles in training.
Morton came off the bench in the second half of the Reds’ emphatic win at Anfield, making his first outing for the senior side since March 2022.
His return to the first-team fold comes after successful loans with Blackburn and Hull in the Championship, and following interest from a number of clubs including Bayer Leverkusen over the summer.
While Liverpool rejected offers for the 21-year-old midfielder, there has been confusion over his lack of game time so far.
But that could change as the campaign goes on, with Morton explaining how Arne Slot has been “testing” him in training.
“It’s been a massive learning period and a period in which I’ve had to be really patient and wait for that chance to come, but I’ve been really working hard on myself,” he told the official matchday programme.
“To be a Liverpool footballer you’ve got to be able to do a lot of things and for me that means playing both midfield positions, as the six and the eight who drops deeper to help the No. 6.
“I’ve been learning both positions and the manager’s been testing me and putting me in positions where I need to get better, which is only going to help me.
“That No. 8 is the position that I always played when I was younger, before I came into professional football.
“I used to be a box-to-box eight, defending and then getting into the box to score goals and create.
“The manager’s changed my game really well and he’s helping to develop me in situations that I probably wouldn’t have had the chance to be in when I was playing in just the six role.
“I’ve found it tough at times being on the bench or not being on the bench but I feel that my head is really screwed on so I’m working on what I can do and giving everything I can to be available to play.”
Around a month-and-a-half into Slot’s first campaign, the head coach is already proving that players can earn their way into his plans.
That could be the same for Morton, who is battling the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo for a place in the squad.
“I love healthy competition and it’s more than healthy here,” he continued.
“There are some incredible footballers as it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world and it’s an absolute pleasure to be here.
“I fight and compete every day to make sure that I’m prepared for whenever I get the call-up and I’m ready for whatever happens next.”
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