Liverpool Academy striker Will Wright scored a second-half hat-trick as the Reds under-19s came from 2-0 down to beat LASK 4-2 in the UEFA Youth League in Pasching on Wednesday. The 18-year-old now has nine goals in eight games this season at Academy level.
Wright targets first-team pathway
Wright, who was on the first-team bench four times towards the end of last season and took part in pre-season under Andoni Iraola, is using the emergence of Lewis Koumas as inspiration. Koumas scored on his first Champions League start for Liverpool in the senior side's 3-1 win at LASK in Linz on the same evening, with Trey Nyoni making a full debut and Luke Chambers appearing from the bench.
"Of course, I have to just keeping working hard like Lewis has, and some of the other lads like Chambo and James McConnell," said Wright. "They come back and you ask 'what's it like?' and they say everyone works hard. That's the level we have to aim for."
"My motivation is purely to get into the first team, to get in and around training and learn off some of the likes of (Alexander) Isak and Hugo (Ekitike)."
Learning from Iraola's pressing demands
Wright described himself as a direct striker who likes running in behind, a style he says was shaped by playing grassroots football on pitches with rabbit holes. He also said he appreciates the facilities he works in because "sometimes there can be a click of the fingers and it's away from you."
Asked if his goalscoring form would have caught Iraola's attention, Wright said: "I hope so. I've picked up some good form at the start of the season and I have to just carry it on. It's my first hat-trick for the club. I'm obviously a goalscorer but I want to be a more complete player as well."
On Iraola's message to the Academy squad, Wright said: "Not just to me but the whole (Academy) squad, it's about energy and pressing. Jurgen (Klopp) had that philosophy of pressing at the right moments. The gaffer is the exact same as that, he loves an energetic side."
Eden impresses as youngest scorer
Liverpool's fourth goal in the Youth League win was scored by 15-year-old midfielder Luca Eden, who became the club's youngest goalscorer in the competition after earlier setting up Wright's opener. Eden was also named in the UEFA Youth League team that faced Atletico earlier this season.
Liverpool U21s coach Rob Page, who is leading the U19 side in the competition, has named Wright as skipper twice. He said: "You see Koumas with the first team and the energy he brings to the front line, that's from being brought through the Academy and Will has a similar identity. If you add his ability to all that, then you have the makings of a very good player. He leads by example."
Page also praised Eden's maturity after he was booked early on: "We could have taken Luca off and protected him because he was on a booking early on, but sometimes you have to give them those moments to become mature and be resilient. He has had to give a mature performance in the second half because he's on a booking."
"He is going to grow stronger and stronger from these experiences," Page added. "There is a bright future for him, but we are managing it right and we will expose him to games like this when we need to."
