Neil Critchley said he was ‘incredibly proud’ after watching his youthful Liverpool side defeated 5-0 by Aston Villa in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
The Reds’ participation in the FIFA Club World Cup meant Critchley was in charge of the youngest team the club’s history - the starting line-up, which featured five debutants, having an average age of just 19 years and 182 days - at Villa Park.
A hugely impressive start to the match could have seen the visitors take the lead, but strikes from Conor Hourihane and Ahmed Elmohamady saw the hosts go 2-0 up by the 18th minute.