James Milner has backed Liverpool youngster Ki-Jana Hoever to become a “top, top player” following his record-breaking debut.
The 16-year-old Dutch defender became the club’s youngest FA Cup player when he came on for Dejan Lovren six minutes into their 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Who is Ki-Jana Hoever? Five things to know…
- Born and raised in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Hoever joined boyhood team Ajax’s esteemed academy before representing their U17 team on 13 occasions.
- Hoever then moved to Liverpool last summer instead of committing his long-term future to Ajax.
- The right-back, who can also play in central defence, has since represented the club’s various youth teams prior to his record-breaking debut.
- Hoever aged 16 years, 11 months and 20 days old became the youngest player to represent Liverpool in the FA Cup against Wolves on Monday.
- And James Milner has backed the teenager to become a top player after his impressive debut.
Milner, who captained the Reds against Wolves and knows a thing or two about breaking into senior football at a very young age, was very impressed in the way Hoever conducted himself after coming into the game earlier than he would have expected to.
“Ki coming on after a minute and playing like he did [was] absolutely outstanding,” he said (via Goal).
“He’s going to be a top, top player you can see that straight away. His temperament, he’s comfortable on the ball.”
How Liverpool beat Man Utd & Chelsea to sign Hoever
Touted for big things, despite his age, it was predictable that a host of Europe’s super rich clubs would approach to sign Hoever.
Ajax, no stranger to losing youngsters before signing a professional contract, were powerless when the inevitable happened.
Hoever, who ran down his contract, was being courted by some of English football’s big boys including Chelsea and both Manchester clubs.
Once it expired last June he opted for Liverpool following a charm offensive by the club. The Reds invited his family to Merseyside to meet the club’s chief scout Barry Hunter as well as academy director Alex Inglethorpe.
A tour of Anfield and Liverpool’s museum excited the player but it was the notion of Jurgen Klopp’s willingness to give youngsters a pathway to first-team duty which clinched the deal.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who Hoever could potentially shadow, was held up as an example. Liverpool would subsequently pay Ajax around £90,000 in compensation under FIFA rules as the Amsterdammer hadn’t signed a professional contract in his native homeland.
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