- Jayden Danns, just 18 years old, made his senior debut in Liverpool's Premier League clash vs Luton Town at Anfield.
- Danns has impressed for Liverpool's youth sides this season and was given a chance to shine due to multiple injuries.
- Danns is the son of Neil Danns, who played for numerous English clubs including Crystal Palace, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers.
Liverpool showed that they have no signs of slowing down in the Premier League title race following their 4-1 win at home to Luton Town on Wednesday night. While Jurgen Klopp's side had to come from behind, the Reds turned it around in typical Liverpool fashion in the second half to secure all three points.
Even without Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez, who both missed the game due to injury, Klopp's side did enough to get over the line. The Merseyside outfit are in a tight, fierce battle for the Premier League title, competing with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.
Most notably, there were several youngsters who were named on the bench for the showdown with the Hatters. Liverpool’s Academy is enjoying an incredible year when it comes to playing for the senior team. Klopp has selected 14 academy graduates so far this season, with 11 of them playing in the Premier League.
With Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Bobby Clark, Ben Doak, and James McConnell becoming matchday regulars this season, you can now add Jayden Danns to the list after the forward was handed his debut in the 4-1 triumph at Anfield. Danns has impressed at youth level, but who is the youngster who looks set to be given more opportunities to play for the club?
Danns' rise to Liverpool's senior squad
His stats this season earned him a chance for Klopp's side
Born in 2006, Danns joined the Liverpool youth set-up at the age of eight. Eventually going on to work his way up the ranks, the Englishman is a versatile player who can play as a striker or as an attacking midfielder. He was destined for big things after he made his debut for the under-18s side at 16 in the 2021/22 season.
In terms of his ability, many Liverpool fans have compared him to former Reds star, Roberto Firmino. The young Englishman likes to drop deep and influence attacking play. Despite being such a versatile player, his best moments this season have come when he's featured as an out-and-out striker and has shown many promising signs in the 2023/24 campaign, scoring 21 goals already between the under-18s and the under-21s, per the Liverpool Echo.
He underwent a significant growth spurt of 10 inches in the space of just eight months at under-16 level, which forced him to sit on the sidelines. Speaking to the club's official website back in February 2024 about his dramatic growth, Danns revealed: "In the space of such a short time, I think I went from 5ft 2in to 6ft. I was out for like eight months with Osgood and that was a tough time for me. You're thinking, 'Why's this happening to me?'
"Obviously when you get back you start to appreciate it so much. Coming back, I just tried to get the most out of what I can really. But it makes you learn things and learn different ways to improve.
"If you look at me last season, I don't think I was as powerful. I was a bit more leggy and Bambi-like! This season, I'm really filling out into my body and I'm just enjoying my football at the moment. I like making runs forward, I like dropping in deep to get the ball. It feels like everything is coming together. I'm just really enjoying it."
Danns is the son of a former Premier League footballer
His dad also featured in Liverpool's Academy
Jayden is the son of former professional footballer, Neil Danns. Neil began his professional career on schoolboy forms with Liverpool. Unfortunately, he failed to break into the senior team, and at 16, opted to leave the Merseyside outfit and sign for Blackburn Rovers.
After making his debut for the senior team in 2000, a lot of his career was spent all over the country. The former midfielder was part of the Colchester side who earned promotion to the Championship in 2006. Most notably, he enjoyed a successful spell with Crystal Palace between 2008 and 2011, making over 100 appearances for the Eagles.
Neil, despite being born in Liverpool, represented Guyana on the international scene between 2015 and 2023, making 25 appearances for the side and scoring 11 goals. He was part of the team that played in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, finishing third in Group D behind USA and Panama.
Danns made first Liverpool appearance v Luton
He shared a touching moment with Klopp and Rob Edwards
Liverpool's win over Luton Town probably isn't significant enough for a notable spot in the club's history books; however, it's a match Jayden won't forget in a hurry. In the 89th minute, at 3-1, the three points safely secured, Klopp turned to Danns and gave him the thumbs up to put on the famous Red shirt for the first time.
Despite his small cameo, he caught the eye of many Liverpool fans and made a key contribution to Liverpool's fourth goal, sliding the ball through to Cody Gakpo before Harvey Elliot scored to put the icing on the cake. Danns was one of seven players who featured for the Reds against Luton aged 21 or under. The forward was given the chance to shine given the club's injury crisis at the moment.
After the full-time whistle, both Klopp and Luton boss Rob Edwards shared an amusing joke. The German was quick to congratulate the youngster and pulled him into a hug. The Hatters boss was then seen walking over before tapping Klopp on the shoulder, saying: ''I played against his (Danns) dad!''
The joke provoked a laugh from both Danns and Klopp, with Edwards then clapping the young star before heading toward the centre circle. In his post-match press conference, Klopp even name-dropped the 18-year-old and outlined how grateful the forward was to be given the chance to shine, saying, per the Mirror: "The [injury] situation is not great, absolutely not, we don’t have to make that now nicer than it is. I’m so happy that all the kids came on and played; Dannsy [Jayden Danns] said 50 times, ‘Thank you, boss!’. I’m so happy that I could give him that opportunity, the boys deserve it.''
