Kept grounded by scrubbing toilets, but now Brewster finally has his chance to shine
James Pearce
Rhian Brewster had barely had the chance to work up a sweat when the number nine went up on the board to reveal that his race was run.
Just 15 minutes had elapsed in Liverpool Under-23sʼ Premier 2 clash with Derby County at the Kirkby Academy on Saturday when the gifted young striker was taken off.
As he trudged towards the touchline, a baffled look was soon replaced by an understanding nod and a sense of excitement about what lay ahead.
Brewster was informed by manager Neil Critchley that a call had come through from Anfield asking for the teenager to be substituted immediately. Under-18 coach Barry Lewtas had been given the task of passing his phone to Critchley. The message from Jurgen Kloppʼs assistant Pep Lijnders was clearly urgent.
With Divock Origi expected to be sidelined for up to a fortnight after damaging his ankle in the Premier League win over Newcastle United earlier in the day, Brewster was going to be promoted to the first-team squad for the Champions League trip to Napoli. Klopp didnʼt want to run the risk of the youngster picking up a knock against Derby.
For Brewster, opportunity knocks — some two years after he burst on to the scene by firing Englandʼs under-17 team to World Cup glory.
The senior Liverpool debut he has long since craved is finally within touching distance. If it doesnʼt come off the bench in the hostile surroundings of Stadio San Paolo, where he visited yesterday, on Tuesday night or at Stamford Bridge on Sunday then heʼs almost certain to play a part in next weekʼs League Cup tie at MK Dons.
Itʼs not been an easy time for Brewster since his heroics in India, where his eight- goal haul for his country secured the Golden Boot and marked him out as one of English footballʼs most prodigious young talents. He has had to sit and watch as his mates from the England youth ranks have made the leap on to the big stage ahead of him.
From Steve Cooperʼs World Cup-winning team, itʼs been Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea) and Morgan Gibbs-White (Wolverhampton Wanderers) who have really kicked on. Now, belatedly, itʼs Brewsterʼs turn to show that he can also deliver at the top level.
The 19-year-old has battled back after having his world rocked by the serious injury he suffered playing for Liverpool Under 23 against Manchester City in January 2018. He landed awkwardly after challenging for a header and had to be taken off on a stretcher. Two operations followed to repair ligaments in his ankle and meniscus cartilage in his knee. Klopp insisted on Brewster doing his rehabilitation programme at Melwood rather than the Academy — a gesture designed to show the teenager how highly he was regarded.
During those dark days, Brewster developed a close friendship with midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who had ruptured knee ligaments in the Champions League semi-final against Roma. He refers to Oxlade-Chamberlain as “my big bro”. They would spur each other on in the gym while their team-mates trained outside.
There was a period in the summer of 2018 when Liverpool genuinely feared they would lose Brewster. Offers of a first professional contract had been rejected and his agent Leon Anderson was exploring the prospect of Brewster following in the footsteps of Sancho by heading to the Bundesliga. Those close to him were concerned that with Daniel Sturridge, Origi, Dominic Solanke and Danny Ings as back-up to Roberto Firmino, Brewster wouldnʼt get a look in.
Borussia Monchengladbach led the chase to secure his services but their persistence was unwelcome. Liverpool threatened them with a tapping-up charge and cancelled a pre-season friendly in protest at their advances.
In July 2018 Brewster ended speculation about his future by signing a deal to keep him at Anfield until 2023. Kloppʼs input was crucial, with the Liverpool manager giving Brewster assurances that he would be in his plans once he had regained full fitness.
Similar concerns about whether he would get the chance to shine led him to Merseyside in the first place. Born and raised in East London, Brewsterʼs father Ian is from Barbados and his mother Hulya Hassan is Turkish-Cypriot.
Brewster was signed from the Shield Academy in Ilford, Essex, by Chelsea at the age of seven. Arsenal, West Ham and Charlton Athletic had also shown interest. He spent seven years at the Chelsea Academy but his father, a lifelong Liverpool fan, grew frustrated at the lack of opportunities being given to young players at Stamford Bridge.
In 2015 the decision was taken that Brewsterʼs career would be best served by relocating north. He wasnʼt short of offers but Liverpoolʼs hand was strengthened by the presence of Academy coach Michael Beale. Now first-team coach under Steven Gerrard at Rangers, Beale had been influential in Brewsterʼs early development at Chelsea.
“I didnʼt see a pathway to becoming a first- team player at Chelsea,” Brewster said. “There were a few clubs interested but once I knew Liverpool were one of them it was an easy choice. Liverpool is a club that does give young players opportunities.”
Brewster quickly settled and started to flourish. He was just 16 when he caught Kloppʼs eye with a hat-trick at Melwood in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Accrington Stanley in November 2016. The following January he scored on his debut for the under-23 side against Ipswich.
Academy director Alex Inglethorpe has always been keen for his players to see life outside of the bubble. Community visits are designed to open their eyes and keep feet firmly on the floor. Just days after scoring a hat-trick for England Under 17 against Croatia, Brewster was scrubbing the toilets in a Merseyside homeless shelter with his Academy team-mates.
He also benefited massively from working with Gerrard during his year-long stint in charge of the clubʼs under-18 side. They spent hours on the training ground working on Brewsterʼs movement. There were also regular one-to-one finishing sessions with Steve McManaman, who acts as a mentor for academy players.
Brewster speaks with maturity beyond his years and showed guts to make a stand against racism after being abused while playing for both club and country. After 14 months out, he finally returned to competition action for Liverpool Under 23s back in April and went on to make the bench for the miraculous Champions League semi-final second leg fightback against Barcelona at Anfield.
On the eve of that game, Klopp said: “Next season he will be playing 100 percent and he knows that. I have told him already.”
Since then Brewster has collected Champions League and Super Cup winnersʼ medals after being an unused substitute on both occasions. He also scored four goals in the clubʼs senior pre-season friendlies, including a penalty against Borussia Dortmund in the USA when he gleefully accepted Jordan Hendersonʼs invitation to take it and nonchalantly stuck it in the top corner.
In the early stages of this season heʼs found himself dropping back down to the under- 23 side to get game-time after spending the week training at Melwood. Not anymore. Heʼs with the big boys in Naples.
Brewsterʼs rich potential was the key reason why Klopp decided he didnʼt need to replace Sturridge when his contract expired in the summer. Heʼs had to be patient and there have been some bumps along the way, but the next step in the teenagerʼs rise up the ranks is now tantalisingly close.
