Liverpool had an injury crisis in the early part of 2024 last season, meaning that academy players were drafted in. The young talents who came into Jurgen Klopp’s side excelled, especially in the 2024 Carabao Cup final, which saw six academy players born after 2003 on the pitch at the end of extra time.
The Reds have always been renowned for having a stellar youth system, producing iconic players such as Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen in the 1990s. There was a lack of stars coming through in the 2000s prior to Klopp, but in his nine-year tenure, 40 academy graduates were given debuts.
Arne Slot will look to build on this legacy and has no shortage of talented players looking to break into the first team. One of these players is Amara Nallo, the 17-year-old who has been named in the club’s 2024/25 Champions League squad. Here is everything you need to know about the young centre-back.
In May 2023, Nallo signed a full-time scholarship contract with West Ham United’s academy. Three months later, the 17-year-old was signed by Liverpool at the same time as wonderkid Trey Nyoni, who was prised away from Leicester City. Upon their arrival, the club’s Under-18s manager, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, said:
“First and foremost they’re really nice boys. We’re really pleased to have them and look forward to getting them into games.
“My job is to start to understand them, understand their game, and work out how we can help them.
“Their job, in the short term, is to come in, play football, enjoy football, get used to the surroundings, the environment and just enjoy themselves.”
In October 2023, Nallo was promoted to Liverpool’s Under 21s, making his first Premier League 2 appearance against Crystal Palace on 1st October, which saw Liverpool win 4-2. The young centre-back was a regular in the youthful iteration of the Premier League across the 2023/24 campaign, making 13 appearances and playing over 1,000 minutes. This included a goal against Stoke City Under 21s.
Nallo also made three appearances in the EFL Trophy – a competition that sees category one academy teams play against League One and Two clubs. Liverpool progressed through a group stage consisting of Morecambe, Blackpool, and Barrow, before losing to Bradford City in the first knockout round. Nallo played 90 minutes in three of the four games.
The 17-year-old was also named on Liverpool’s first-team bench on two occasions last season. These two matches were against Southampton and Manchester City – the first of these was an FA Cup tie and the City clash was a Premier League match. With Nallo named in the 25-man Champions League squad for this season, he will be hopeful of making his senior debut under the new head coach, Slot.
So far in the 2024/25 season, the young centre-back has played 90 minutes in all three of Liverpool’s Premier League 2 games, which has seen them win two and lose one. He also started at centre-back against Crewe Alexandra in the EFL Trophy – a game that the Merseyside club lost 5-1.
Amara Nallo Career Statistics
Club
Appearances
Goals
Assists
West Ham U18
2
0
0
Liverpool U18
5
0
0
Liverpool U21
22
1
0
Liverpool
0
0
Nallo has also made an impact on the international stage in his short career to date. He has won five caps for England’s Under-18s, including two at the 2024 U18 Tri Nations Trophy. Nallo was afforded 35 minutes in the 4-2 win against Northern Ireland before playing 69 minutes against Morocco. Fellow Liverpool youngster Nyoni also played in both matches.
The other three games Nallo has played for England’s Under 18s were against Czechia, Germany, and the Netherlands. He will be hoping to make the step up to the Under-21s in the next couple of years and may be targeting the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Amaro Nallo Appearances for England U18
Match
Date
Minutes Played
Czechia U18 2-1 England U18
20th March 2024
13
Germany U18 0-0 England U18
22nd March 2024
69
Netherlands U18 2-1 England U18
25th March 2024
45
England U18 4-2 Northern Ireland U18
22nd May 2024
35
England U18 2-1 Morocco U18
26th May 2024
69
Across his career so far, Nallo has predominantly played as a centre-back. One of his best attributes is that he is two-footed, meaning that he can play on both the left and right. His composure on the ball allows him to drive out of defence and start attacks from deep with his precise passing. After a draw with Benfica in the Premier League International Cup last year, Liverpool’s Under-21 head coach, Barry Lewtas, raved about Nallo’s impact following his step up from the Under-18s. He said:
“Despite being just 16, Amara didn’t succumb to pressure. His ability to maintain a high level of performance without being affected by game dynamics was exceptional.”
Liverpool were not the first Premier League club to hold Nallo in high regard. When he signed his scholarship with the Hammers in 2023, Under 16s coach and former West Ham United striker, Carlton Cole, gushed:
“I would describe Amara as a Rolls Royce of a centre-back. He has a great left foot and is elegant when he moves with the ball. He can play the ball with both feet and has been working on his heading as well. He’s a player who has a high ceiling.”
Joel Matip left Liverpool as a free agent in June, with Joe Gomez also heavily linked with a move away. In fact, it was reported in May 2024 that a centre-back deal was a “huge priority” for the Reds in this year’s summer transfer window. No agreement materialised, though, and Sepp van den Berg also left the club to join Brentford, meaning that there could be a clear pathway to the first team in the next couple of years for Nallo if he continues to develop.
If the 17-year-old can get on the pitch in one of Liverpool’s first two Champions League fixtures – which both come against Italian opposition in the form of AC Milan and Bologna – then Nallo will become the youngest player to ever appear for the club in Europe’s premier competition. Stefan Bajcetic, who set the record at the age of 17 years and 326 days in September 2022 with a cameo against Ajax, offers a cautionary tale of promising potential hampered by overuse which Nallo will desperately want to avoid
Amara Nallo Stats Via Positions
Position
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Centre-Back
21
1
0
Right-Back
3
0
0
Left-Back
2
0
Liverpool reportedly handed Nallo a five-year deal when luring him away from West Ham in August 2023, highlighting the club’s confidence that he will be a success in the long term. The signing of Nallo has been part of a wider recruitment focus for the 19-time league winners in recent times.
When Britain left the European Union in 2020, new rules stipulated that English clubs could no longer sign players from abroad who were under the age of 18. As a result, there has been a significant drive to recruit players from other English academies who are aged 12 and above. The most high-profile deal like this in the 2024 summer transfer window was Liverpool’s signing of former Chelsea wonderkid, Rio Ngumoha.
Following the acquisitions of Nallo and Nyoni in August 2023, Gregg Evans of The Athletic wrote a detailed piece on how Liverpool sign young players. The extensive project is stretched across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, taking in plenty of talent aside from Nallo.
Liverpool’s Youthful Signings
Player
Signed From
Year
Age on Arrival
Conor Bradley
Dungannon
2019
16
Kaide Gordon
Derby
2021
16
Bobby Clark
Newcastle
2021
16
Ben Doak
Celtic
2022
16
Trey Nyoni
Leicester
2023
16
Amara Nallo
Celtic
2023
16
Rio Ngumoha
Chelsea
2024
