Harvey Elliott will be desperate to bring the curtain down in style on his England U21 career by beating Germany in Saturday’s European championship final, although another stellar display for the Young Lions may only end up further clouding his Liverpool future.
The Reds attacking midfielder produced a player-of-the-match performance, including two eye-catching second-half goals, to help England beat the Netherlands in Wednesday’s semi-final.
“The Liverpool player was part of the squad in 2023, but he is a star of this one,” wrote Sky Sports’ Adam Bate at the Tehelne Pole. “The best player on the pitch and the scorer of both of England’s goals.”
That hugely mature display in Bratislava has given the 22-year-old the opportunity, along with Charlie Cresswell, of making it back-to-back Euro titles with victory over arch-rivals Germany, who edged Lee Carsley’s side 2-1 when they met in the group phase.
England’s Harvey Elliott celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Netherlands
And that would be some way to end his impressive U21 journey that has taken in 27 internationals, with 13 goals and six assists since Carlsey gave him his debut as an 18-year-old in 2022.
“Harvey has been outstanding,” said Carsley of Elliott’s performance so far in Slovakia. “He’s one of many who has stood up. They’re developing as a team and it’s just a shame we only have one game left because I think this team is outstanding.”
Elliott only came on as a late substitute when England beat Spain 1-0 to win the Euros two years ago, so he will be praying the tweaked knee caused by his sliding celebration for his first goal against the Dutch is not serious.
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Elliott watched his winner back from England’s 2-1 win over Netherlands in the semi-finals of the European U21 Championship. Pictures from X courtesy of @England
“I don’t know what I’ve done to my knee, but it’s hurting,” he said after the match. “Hopefully it’s nothing too silly. It was a silly decision from me, but it was living in the moment. You do these things.”
If that freak knock were to rule Elliott out of Saturday’s final, though, it would be ironic given his Liverpool career so far has been a stop-start affair often interrupted by untimely injury setbacks.
Some people may forget, but Elliott arrived at Anfield as a fresh-faced 16-year-old in the aftermath of the Reds’ victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the 2019 Champions League final, but has only made 94 Premier League appearances in the six seasons since.
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A look back at all of Elliott’s goals for Liverpool in the Premier League
After appearing only twice in the league in his first year and a half at the club, Jurgen Klopp sent Elliott out on loan to Blackburn Rovers in January 2021, where he shone in the Championship.
So much so that the then Liverpool manager brought the shaggy-haired midfielder back from Ewood Park to become part of his first team, rewarding him a new long-term deal in July 2021.
However, that September Elliott suffered an horrific ankle dislocation at Elland Road that sidelined him until February 2022, although in effect that was his campaign done there.
And it was a similar story last season when having caught new head coach Arne Slot’s eye as a No 10 in the club’s pre-season tour of the US, he then fractured his foot while training with the U21s in September.
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Liverpool midfielder Elliott has hinted at a possible exit from the club this summer
Elliott returned to action in late November, but by that point in the season Liverpool were purring and Slot already had his preferred starting lineup nailed down, so restricting him to just 18 top flight appearances as the Reds strolled to the title.
The other reason for Elliott’s limited club showings since 2019 is, of course, the presence a certain Mohamed Salah in Liverpool’s starting XI, with the Egypt forward not only being utilised on the same right-hand side of the Reds attack that he favours, but he has also been a virtual ever present in that time.
Elliott can operate in the No 10 role as well, but Slot has splashed out what could be a British-record £116m fee to bring Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz to Anfield, so that route into the team also looks blocked.
All of which was no doubt bubbling away in his mind when Elliott questioned his Reds future at the start of the Euros, with the likes of Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen all reportedly keen on the player who has a contract until 2027 at Anfield.
“I don’t really want to be wasting years of my career because it’s a short career,” he told reporters at the tournament in Slovakia.
“You don’t know what’s going to happen. I need to reflect. I want to improve and be the best possible version of myself. If that’s to go somewhere else, then it’s a decision I’m going to have to make.”
But with Elliott having undoubtedly shown everyone the very best possible version of himself in Slovakia this past month, he may have inadvertently accelerated the end of his Liverpool career by putting himself front and centre of the shop window as suitors prepare to test the champions’ resolve to keep him this summer.
Sky Sports to show 215 Premier League games from 2025/26
Sky Sports will broadcast a record minimum of 215 Premier League matches a season from 2025/26 after finalising a new four-year agreement for TV rights.
From the 2025/26 season, Sky Sports’ exclusively live coverage will increase from 128 Premier League matches to at least 215 games.
