Liverpool’s youngest-ever starting line-up beat Shrewsbury

LONDON: With the Reds’ senior players enjoying the inaugural Premier League winter break, under-23s boss Neil Critchley led a side at Anfield containing seven teenage outfield players. At 0-0, Shrewsbury had a Shaun Whalley goal disallowed by the video assistant referee (VAR).

Whalley thought he had given the Shrews the lead but his header was disallowed when VAR ruled there had been an offside in the build-up.

The visitors had come from 2-0 down to force a fourth-round replay but could not recover after defender Williams headed past his own keeper from Liverpool right-back Neco Williams’ cross.

There were jubilant scenes on the pitch at the end as Liverpool reached the last 16 despite the absence of 22 senior players and first-team manager Jurgen Klopp.

The teenagers were given a standing ovation when they celebrated a hard-fought win in front of the Kop.

This was a game the Reds did not want, Klopp making it clear within minutes of the first meeting between the clubs ending on 26 January that he would not be asking his senior players to interrupt their winter break for the replay.

Instead the Reds fielded a team consisting wholly of players from the under-23 squad.

At an average age of 19 years and 102 days, it was the youngest line-up in Liverpool’s history, eclipsing the team – average age 19 years and 182 days –overwhelmed 5-0 at Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup quarter-final in December when the senior side were at the Club World Cup in Qatar.

Curtis Jones and 16-year-old Harvey Elliott - three substitute appearances totalling 20 minutes between them this season - were the only two Reds players on show with Premier League experience.

Aged 19 years and five days, Toxteth-born Jones became the youngest first-team captain in Liverpool’s history. Shrewsbury were skippered by 34-year-old former Wales midfielder Dave Edwards.

There was at least one of Klopp’s senior players in the sell-out crowd, with James Milner offering his support sat behind the home dugout. (Agencies)

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