Harvey Elliott offered fresh Liverpool hope after Andoni Iraola comments
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Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott endured a difficult season on loan at Aston Villa, but the arrival of new head coach Andoni Iraola could hand the 23-year-old a fresh start at LiverpoolHarvey Elliott is returning to Liverpool this summer(Image: Getty Images)Liverpool's appointment of Andoni Iraola could present Harvey Elliott with a fresh chance at Anfield.The 23-year-old was a regular fixture under Jurgen Klopp, featuring in the German's squad throughout the final years of his reign at Liverpool. Despite Villa agreeing a £35 million ($47 million) obligation to buy Elliott, dependent on him playing 10 Premier League matches for Villa, he featured just nine times for the Midlands outfit and was left out of the squad for much of the campaign.Once regarded as a promising prospect, ready to make the right side of midfield his own for Liverpool, Elliott has essentially wasted an entire season of development at an age when he should be playing regularly for a side.It will sting even more, given it was a World Cup year.
During his first interview as the club's new head coach, the Basque manager gave players such as Elliott reason to believe they could prove their worth and secure their place in Liverpool's plans.Andoni Iraola has taken charge of Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)"We've analyzed Liverpool a lot – possible weaknesses, the strengths," Iraola said. For me, you are all new signings, and I think we have a lot of quality in our squad, and really looking forward to working with them."I only had, I think, Milos [Kerkez] in the squad before – I know a couple.
Yeah, definitely looking forward to it."Those remarks will provide significant encouragement for Elliott, indicating the midfielder is set to receive the same chance as any of his colleagues upon his return to the club this summer.It has been reported that Villa was eager for Elliott to return to Anfield in January, though the two clubs failed to reach an agreement. Whether Elliott would have been given the chance to resurrect his career under Slot remains unknown, but it appears unlikely.Simply put, Iraola represents a clean slate for Elliott.