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Kaide Gordon of Liverpool(Image: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

It wasn't just the Liverpool first team who were in action at the Academy at the weekend.

While Arne Slot's side eased to a 5-0 friendly win over Championship side Stoke City on Sunday, the previous day saw the under-21s romp to an even bigger victory.

Now under former Wales national team manager Rob Page, the young Reds thumped their Celtic counterparts 8-0 at Kirkby on Saturday afternoon.

For several players, it was an opportunity to send a reminder of their potential - both to Reds boss Arne Slot and, more likely, any interested suitors - after experiencing contrasting loan spells last season.

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Chief among those was Kaide Gordon.

The 20-year-old, who made his senior Liverpool bow almost four years ago and started a League Cup semi-final before being sidelined for 18 months with injury, had disappointing stays at Norwich City and Portsmouth in the Championship last term where he was limited to just a solitary start.

Against Celtic, Gordon was the most influential performer, scoring and having a hand in two other goals before winning and converting a penalty, all before the interval.

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His first assist was for Kieran Morrison, while a later low cross found Luca Stephenson, whose shot was kept out before Trent Kone-Doherty notched.

Owen Beck, who enjoyed an impressive spell at Blackburn Rovers in the second tier last season before it was cut short by injury, also scored twice before half-time, while strikers Keyrol Figueroa and Oakley Cannonier netted in the second half.

Among the starters were Rhys Williams and Lewis Koumas, while the second half saw a rare appearance for Calvin Ramsay, who hasn't featured for Liverpool at any competitive level since January 2023 and has endured successive campaigns of underwhelming loan spells.

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With the exception of goalkeeper Kornel Misciur and Stephenson - who featured for the first 45 minutes - none of those involved were among the 29-man first-team squad that flew to Hong Kong the following day for the start of the Far East tour, suggesting immediate opportunities in the senior ranks would appear limited this campaign.

Meanwhile, the U18s - helmed by assistant manager Anthony Ryan with Liverpool close to appointing Simon Wiles from Manchester United as successor to the departed Marc Bridge-Willkinson - ended a pre-season camp in Germany with a 1-0 defeat to TSV 1860 Munich on Saturday.


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