Arne Slot, players and fans loved what Trey Nyoni did vs. Real Betis – “Wow factor”

Trey Nyoni captured the imagination of supporters with his display in Liverpool’s 1-0 friendly win over Real Betis, earning praise from Arne Slot and his teaMMAtes.

Liverpool began their tour of the United States with a victory over LaLiga opposition, with Dominik Szoboszlai scoring the only goal of the game in Pittsburgh.

It was a productive first runout under Slot, even without many of his most important players, with positive signs for the season ahead.

One of the standouts was Nyoni, the 17-year-old who replaced the injured Curtis Jones after half an hour, excelling as one of the deeper midfielders and playing a role in Szoboszlai’s goal.

His performance earned plaudits from the head coach, players and fans alike.

What Slot said…

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Slot was both effusive in his praise for Nyoni and cautious in his views on the midfielder’s development:

“I think he did really well today, but it was only an hour.

“He did well, he was one of the reasons why we scored the goal, because he turned really quickly and [played a] spot on pass between the lines, and he was also involved in the biggest chance of the second half.

“So he did well, but he just turned 17, his body has to grow – and we are really careful with him, so he doesn’t join every session, and sometimes he goes out a bit earlier.

“You can see his quality, but you can also see his body still needs some time to grow to play a Premier League level. But he showed some interesting things today.”

And in an interview with LFCTV, the head coach expanded further:

“I think this started off with a player that came in that speeded up the game for us a lot.

“He found these players in between the lines a lot of times, and I think that’s the quality we need in those No. 6 positions, to find players like him.

[…]

“I said [in the pre-match press conference] I’m not going to name any youngsters that caught my eye, but if you see that he comes in after 30 minutes for Curtis, you could expect that I meant him!

“He did really well today, I think he just turned 17, so his body is not grown yet, he needs some time to get stronger and hopefully he will be a bit taller as well.”

What the players said…

Speaking to LFCTV after the Game, Szoboszlai made it clear that the senior players in Liverpool’s squad are similarly impressed.

“For sure [he has a massive future]. I like him a lot, he’s a really offensive player,” the Hungarian said.

“I just said on the bench to Quansah, you can’t even foul him, because he’s just so [quick], his movements and stuff.”

On Nyoni’s role in the buildup to his goal, Szoboszlai said: “It was a good pass from Trey, it’s important that the sixes see us and use us also.”

What the fans said…

It’s actually incredible how composed Trey Nyoni is in midfield at 17. Knows the type and when to play the pass, when to release the ball and when to play his way out of trouble. Brilliant to watch so far. What a talent.

— Samuel (@SamueILFC) July 27, 2024

Trey Nyoni was very impressive after coming on. He knows how to break lines with his passes and handles himself really well in tight spaces. The wow factor, though, is how he leaves opponents in the dust by just changing direction with his one-touch receptions. Hard to handle.

— Maxi (@MaaxiAngelo) July 27, 2024

Nyoni, who only turned 17 a month ago, has come on here and probably been our best player.

You can tell when some players have it and he’s one of them.

— Laurie (@LFCLaurie) July 27, 2024

Trey Nyoni, I’m standing up in my living room and giving you a standing ovation.

What. A. Performance

— Watch LFC (@Watch_LFC) July 27, 2024

??????? Trey Nyoni completed 42/46 passes vs Real Betis and 1/1 dribbles. 

He looked so composed in possession – a really impressive performance from the #LFC youngster. pic.twitter.com/eIowZtg2SJ

— AnfieldIndex (@AnfieldIndex) July 27, 2024

Clearly, it is important not to go overboard when it comes to the performance of any player in a pre-season friendly – and certainly not a 17-year-old with little first-team experience.

But there is a palpable excitement around Nyoni’s potential, and his early forays into the senior setup show exactly why.

Hopefully he can maintain this throughout pre-season, with bigger tests to come against Arsenal, Man United and Sevilla, before Slot makes any judgement over his immediate role.