Former Liverpool academy youngster resurfaced against Real Madrid last night for first game in nearly two years
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net.
Many youngsters who come through the Liverpool academy go on to have good careers in the game either with or without the Reds.
Never has that been in more evidence than this summer, with a number of former youngsters excelling across Europe.
Tyler Morton is in brilliant form for Lyon, raising the possibility of a return to Liverpool in the future if he carries on doing well.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Jarell Quansah scored on his Bundesliga debut this weekend to underline what a mistake the Reds may have made in letting him leave.
But while fans will continue to keep an eye on both Morton and Quansah this season, they may have been surprised to learn that another former Liverpool academy youngster is now playing in La Liga.
After almost two years without a professional club, midfielder Ovie Ejaria suddenly popped up to play against Real Madrid on Sunday evening.
Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images
Of course, there was another former Liverpool player turning out during Real Madrid’s game on Sunday.
But Reds supporters will perhaps be happy to know that a certain Trent Alexander-Arnold played only three minutes of Real’s 3-0 win.
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
While he was sat on the bench at Carlos Tartiere Stadium, Alexander-Arnold may have looked across and seen the familiar face of Ejaria sitting adjacent to him.
The two players spent time in the Liverpool academy together, after Ejaria joined from Arsenal in 2014.
READ MORE: Florian Wirtz suggests why he absolutely won’t be changing position at Liverpool this season
After eight first team appearances under Jurgen Klopp, the midfielder left to join Reading, for whom he played over 100 games before being released in December 2023.
Since then, Ejaria has not had a club.
However, after impressing on trial with Oviedo this summer, the 27-year-old has reportedly signed a two-year contract, with his first appearance coming off the bench for the final 19 minutes against Los Blancos.
Although seeing Ejaria was a welcome surprise on Sunday night, Alexander-Arnold’s evening was the more notable takeaway from Real’s win.
With Dani Carvajal now back fit from the ACL injury which ruined last season for him, Xabi Alonso opted to start him at right-back.
Carvajal is a Real Madrid legend and the current captain of the team, so Alexander-Arnold would always have known he may have to share duties with him for a while.
But to be shunted out of the team in just the second game of the season is not a good look for Liverpool’s former right-back.
Alonso will surely still get the best out of him at some point, but it has not been the best of starts for Alexander-Arnold in Madrid.