The Rise and Fall of Bobby Duncan: A Liverpool Prodigy's Unfulfilled Promise
Bobby Duncan, the cousin of Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, was once heralded as one of the club's most exciting young talents. Today, the 24-year-old forward finds himself without a professional club, seven years after his dramatic departure from Anfield in 2019. His career trajectory serves as a poignant reminder of the pressures and pitfalls facing young footballers in the modern game.
Early Promise and Youth Success
Duncan's football journey began at grassroots level with Mossley Hill and St Helens Town before he joined Wigan Athletic's academy in 2010. A year later, he moved to Manchester City, where he remained until 2017. After an alleged contract dispute kept him sidelined for a year, he finally secured his dream move to Liverpool in 2018 for £200,000.
The 2018/19 season appeared to validate Liverpool's investment, with Duncan scoring regularly alongside fellow striker Paul Glatzel. His crowning moment came in the FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City, where he scored a crucial late equalizer that allowed Liverpool to triumph on penalties. During pre-season in 2019, he even featured for the senior team against Tranmere Rovers, scoring in a 6-0 victory under manager Jurgen Klopp.
The Controversial Exit
Just one month after that promising pre-season appearance, Duncan's Liverpool career unraveled dramatically. His then-agent Saif Rubie posted a series of explosive accusations on social media targeting Liverpool's sporting director Michael Edwards. Duncan quote-tweeted the post, which alleged he was being detained against his wishes by the club and claimed he would never wear a Liverpool shirt again.
The post further suggested the young striker was experiencing mental health difficulties as a consequence of the situation. Liverpool responded with a statement expressing disappointment at the "unattributed comments and unfounded allegations," while pledging to work privately with the player to find resolution.
Struggles After Anfield
Duncan secured a £1.8 million transfer to Fiorentina before the summer of 2019 concluded, but failed to adapt to Italian football. He returned to England the following year to sign for Derby County, where he finally made his senior breakthrough - albeit with just one appearance in a 2-0 FA Cup defeat to Chorley.
His career continued to drift, with a subsequent move to Spanish third-tier outfit Linese resulting in just seven appearances between 2022 and 2023. The striker last featured in April 2023 and has remained a free agent since.
Conflicting Accounts and Unresolved Issues
In September 2022, Duncan publicly disputed claims made by his former agent Rubie, who had told talkSPORT he urged the striker to remain at Liverpool in 2019. Taking to social media, Duncan stated: "You and I both know the truth. I didn't have a decision nor say. Not once have I spoken upon this topic in '4 years' as it's been my main priority to get my career back on track."
He added: "The truth will be told by myself when the time is right. And lastly, just to clarify, there was no advising given as you point blank made your mind up, publicly. And by then the damage had been done."
Today, Bobby Duncan represents one of football's most intriguing "what if" stories - a talented youngster whose career was derailed by controversy and who now, at just 24, faces the challenge of resurrecting his professional prospects without the platform of a club.
