Klopp used Reading star as role model for Liverpool kids to take "opportunity"

Nowadays, Ovie Ejaria is plying his trade in the Championship - but not that long ago he was the poster boy for Liverpool's academy stars.

The winger moved to Anfield in 2014 after making the switch from boyhood club Arsenal. He spent six years on Merseyside and made a handful of senior appearances while being loaned out on three separate occasions.

But it was in 2016 that he made the big breakthrough under Jurgen Klopp, who held high hopes for the talented midfielder. The London-born ace impressed on a pre-season tour and it led to him featuring sporadically in the first team the following campaign.

Klopp, speaking in 2017, used Ejaria as a prime example of how a youngster can suddenly catch the eye. He said: "I told the boys before the session that last year, Ovie Ejaria came onto my plate, if you want.

"I saw him here first. I knew him, I saw him playing a few times, but here having him around for four days and seeing him in small spaces in the sessions against the 'adults' if you want was very important for him and for me. It's an opportunity.

"You can see in their eyes they know it; they are really ambitious when they think about the sessions and we will try to do everything we can to give them the opportunity to impress. There's no doubt about the attitude, there's no doubt about quality - it's only a question of are they already ready or not? If not, then they still have time. If yes, then let's make the next step."

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Klopp has a similar scenario five years on, with a clutch of youngsters on the periphery of his squad such as Stefan Bajcetic and Luke Chambers.

Both will be hoping to follow in Ejaria's footsteps and make a contribution across what will be another taxing season that sees the Reds fighting for the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League. As for Ejaria, he joined Reading on a permanent basis in 2020 after two successful loan spells in Berkshire.

The 24-year-old will be hoping to improve on his output from last season, when he scored just twice as the Royals avoided relegation from the second tier.

Manager Paul Ince recently spoke about where he sees Ejaria fitting in to his side. Speaking after the opening day loss at Blackpool, Ince said: "Ovie played wide last year in a 4-2-3-1 and he can also play in the number ten position.

"He likes to get on the ball but sometimes he wants to come too deep but we don't want him to do that, we want our number six to do that.

"He is a very talented kid and sometimes he just has to be disciplined in his role and wait because we'll get the ball to him. He had a great chance to score a header against Blackpool. But he's one of those players - it's not going to be about 11 players, it's about 17, 18, 19 players and they all have to play a part."