Trey Nyoni has revealed Andoni Iraola is deliberately testing him in different midfield roles to aid his development, after the teenager made his full Premier League debut in Liverpool's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.
The 19-year-old has made 11 appearances under the Basque coach this season, earning his first starts in both the Champions League and Premier League after taking on a more prominent role in the Reds' first-team squad.
Debut Performance and Tactical Flexibility
Nyoni impressed against the Gunners before being withdrawn just before the hour-mark, with onlookers noticing how Liverpool lost control of the game following his departure.
His game-time has been split between lining up as the Reds' deepest midfielder and in a slightly more advanced role at number eight. Nyoni revealed such variation in his deployment is a deliberate choice by Iraola to help him get to grips with what is required at Anfield.
"Obviously I was excited. I just tried to go out there and do what I do," he said. "(I) tried to get on the ball as much as possible and bring the team forwards.
"The manager is just trying me in different positions and allowing me to develop. In a game like this it was a big responsibility so I had to be ready at all costs."
Defeat to Arsenal and Finishing Concerns
While it was a landmark occasion for Nyoni, the match was also bittersweet as Liverpool fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat. The Reds were denied a penalty for a shirt-pull on Alexander Isak and failed to register a shot on target despite creating a plethora of chances.
"Of course, we're always disappointed if we lose a game," he told the club website. "I think we had enough chances to score.
"Apart from that (penalty) incident, I think we did enough to win the game. Going forward, we need to make sure we put our chances away.
"With the attacking quality we have, we expected to make a lot of chances and I think we did that. But if you don't take your chances, you'll get punished."
Nyoni acknowledged the team's disappointment but stressed the need to move on quickly. "Obviously we're disappointed to not score. Overall in the game it was quite positive, we did what we had to do.
"But ultimately, it's fine margins at this level and we got punished. Next time we need to start the game a lot better.
"We were unlucky on the day but towards the end we tried to give everything. It wasn't our day, it can happen. We have to move on and think about the next game now and put it right."
Nyoni added that the defeat was a learning experience despite the personal milestone, noting the team's focus now shifts to their next fixture on Wednesday.
