Rhys Williams has been brought in as a cover for a much more experienced teammate, but the youngster has a long-term stay in mind.
Liverpool teenager Rhys Williams made his first-ever Champions League start in the 5-0 dismantling of Atalanta.
The first full European debut for the young center-back came as a result of rather unfortunate circumstances, with Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho on the sidelines and Joel Matip only fit enough for the bench on Tuesday.
Nevertheless, he put in a fine shift just as he had done in his previous appearances against Ajax and Midtjylland.
The academy product made his debut for the club in the Carabao Cup win over Lincoln City back in September.
Williams’s minutes with the senior team will most probably once again become very limited when Van Dijk and others fully recover, but he is determined to retain his place in Jurgen Klopp’s line-up.
“Well, I was hoping for an opportunity but I wasn’t hoping for it as good as this!” he told the club’s official website reflecting on his first-ever European start.
“I want to become an irreplaceable piece of this side. It’s a great team with great players.
“I know it’s going to be hard but I’m willing to put the effort in, keep working and hopefully keep putting in performances when I get the chance.”
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