Arne Slot has tipped Jayden Danns to enjoy a “very good career,” admitting that he is unsure about a loan move away from Liverpool this month.
Danns found the net in the Reds’ 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley on Saturday, coming off the bench to fire home in front of the Kop.
It was a great moment for the 18-year-old, who made just his second appearance of the season after suffering a back injury last summer.
Speaking after the game, Slot heaped praise on Danns’ ability and mentality, admitting that a loan move in January is up in the air.
“I don’t know at the moment to be honest,” Slot said, when asked about a loan exit.
“But I think what I like most about him, and with most of the academy players, is the mentality they have. That’s a big compliment for him, but definitely also a big compliment to our youth academy.
“Because if you are a youngster and you come to the first team, sometimes you are used in a way that you might not expect.
“Or, although it’s common in football, you are then playing in the other team [in training] that sometimes has to copy the team we face, sometimes you’re in a different position.
“So for him, he’s a striker, but if we play 11 vs. 11 and I make the choice to play Jota, then on the other side Darwin is playing as a nine, so he has to play as an 11 or as a six or whatever position we need him.
“But he will always, like the other academy players, give all he has. James McConnell is also a perfect example of that.
“If that is your mentality, you can definitely get the most of your potential. That is what’s going to happen with him.
“What that potential is, that probably needs some time to find out if he in the end will be a starter for us. But that he will have a very good career because of his mentality, I’m very sure of.”
Does a loan make sense for Danns?
Danns looked so sharp when he came on against Accrington, taking his goal tally to three in seven appearances for Liverpool.
It does feel like a loan switch could be best for the striker’s development, in order to enjoy regular football until May.
Granted, opportunities could come Danns’ way in the FA Cup, but Slot has a wealth of attacking options, so it is hard to see him featuring much in the Premier League and Champions League.
Joining another club for the rest of the season could ultimately benefit all parties, but equally, he can continue to develop at the academy, too.
Either way, Danns is a player of immense promise and the fact that Slot speaks so highly of various facets of his game can only be a good thing.
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