Neil Critchley reserved special praise for Elijah Dixon-Bonner after the 18-year-old midfielder netted twice for Liverpool U23s during the 3-2 win over Wigan Athletic in the Premier League Cup on Sunday.
With Curtis Jones given a rest on the bench ahead of international duty with England U19s, the former Arsenal youngster was handed the captain’s armband.
After the game Critchley revealed Dixon-Bonner had been doing extra work in training on his finishing in the build-up to Sunday.
Dixon-Bonner slotted two superb goals and 16-year-old Tom Hill was also on the mark in his debut at U23 level.