Liverpool won the FA Youth Cup for the first time in 12 years in 2019, and Vitezslav Jaros has now become the 10th player from the winning squad to make his first-team debut.
The Reds have won the FA Youth Cup four times in their history, starting in 1996. The most recent triumph came via a 5-3 penalty shootout victory over Man City in 2019.
It is a competition that has been the springboard for several senior players at the club, including Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen.
And while only two remain on Liverpool’s books from the 2019 triumphant side, Jaros’ debut against Crystal Palace means that 10 players from the squad have gone on to play a senior game.
The goalkeeper was thrust into the spotlight unexpectedly when Alisson went down with a hamstring injury, putting Jaros under immediate pressure when the hosts were searching for an equaliser.
He more than stood up to the task, and it is another nod to the pathway that exists between the Reds’ academy and first team. But who else went on to make their debut, you ask?
You will recognise quite a number of names.
Neco Williams (33 total appearances), Morgan Boyes (2) and Leighton Clarkson (three) earned their first senior cap just months after picking up their FA Youth Cup winners’ medal.
Yasser Larouci (2), Jake Cain (1), Elijah Dixon-Bonner (3) and Rhys Williams (19) all followed in 2020 – the latter is the only one who remains on Liverpool’s books but is currently on loan at Morecambe.
Luis Longstaff (1) and Jack Bearne (1) both came on as substitutes against City and later played their first game in that League Cup fifth-round match at Aston Villa in December 2019.
The three who never went on to make a first-team bow from the starting lineup were Abdi Sharif, Paul Glatzel and Bobby Duncan.
Liverpool U18s: Jaros; N. Williams, R. Williams, Boyes, Larouci; Clarkson (Longstaff 78′), Sharif, Dixon-Bonner; Cain (Bearne 101′), Glatzel, Duncan
Subs not used: O’Rourke, Kelly, Savage
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