Talk of revenge has, for the most part, been neatly sidestepped by Liverpool in the build-up to their latest Champions League final against Real Madrid.
Harvey Elliott said: “For myself, it’s my own revenge. I want to take that upset and disappointment as a fan and make sure I put it right at the weekend if I’m needed. It’s going to be a crazy experience to be able to say I’ve been there as a fan and then as a player and hopefully get a chance to play. We’ll see. I’m just so excited, and hopefully we can put it right.”
That evening in Ukraine proved influential in shaping Elliott’s career. With Real among several players courting his signature when at Fulham, the youngster declined the chance to meet with Sergio Ramos after the defender had infamously dragged Mohamed Salah out of the final in Kyiv. And once Liverpool showed interest, there was only one choice, Elliott moving to his boyhood club in July 2019.
Harvey Elliott said: “Sitting there in the stands and watching Liverpool play in the final, celebrating getting there as a fan and the disappointment of not winning, to think the year after I’m signing for Liverpool, I never thought that would happen.”
Merely being available for the weekend showdown at the Stade de France is a triumph of sorts for Elliott after the horror ankle injury suffered at Leeds United back in September that brought to a shuddering halt an impressive start to the campaign, having shone on loan at Championship side Blackburn Rovers last season. Elliott was back in action less than five months later, and then given his Champions League bow in surprise fashion when thrown in from the start by Klopp for the first leg of the first knockout round clash at Inter Milan in February.
Harvey Elliott added: “It was butterflies because it was my first start since coming back from the injury. To say I’ve played at the San Siro is an experience in itself. To play against Inter Milan in the knockout stages of the Champions League, I didn’t really know how to react because I hadn’t had that feeling (of starting a game) for a long time. I played as well as I could – I didn’t really have my best game – but just the experience alone was very good for me.”
Since his return, Elliott’s development has largely been on the training pitch with the recent outing in the 2-1 Premier League win at Southampton only his seventh for the first team after injury. The youngster, though, makes no secret of his gratitude for being back in contention so swiftly.
Harvey Elliott said: “I don’t think the coaching and fitness staff here get enough credit. You look at the likes of Virgil van Dijk’s injury and Joe Gomez’s injury, and they got them back playing and now they are absolutely flying. The credit often goes to the player on returning, but at the end of the day it’s the (fitness) coaches who are here every day, working longer hours, planning extra sessions for us and planning drills in the gym and different opportunities and situations on the pitch to help players get back playing again. Credit also has to go to my family to help me get through it, they helped me out when I was looking down, even when I wasn’t showing it they were always there to keep me going and keep me motivated to get back stronger and quicker than expected. It’s all in the past now, though. I’m thankful I have overcome that hurdle. To have these experiences now since being back is a dream come true, but it’s just a shame I couldn’t experience them throughout the season.”
Chief among those was a 41-minute run-out from the bench in the Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea in which Elliott demonstrated his ability to remain unfazed by the big occasion when scoring in the epic penalty shoot-out. However, should Liverpool triumph in Paris, don’t expect a repeat of the youngster’s pyro-inspired Wembley celebrations.
Harvey Elliott said: “I think that’s the fan in me, picking up the flare. As much as I shouldn’t have, it just happened. It was there and I picked it up and just wanted to celebrate. The amount of kids out there wanting those kind of experiences of playing in a final for Liverpool, I can’t take it for granted. As a fan, to dream of those experiences and then to have them, you just need to take the opportunities. I’m very happy I can do that. I don’t go into these things worrying about them too much, I just need to play my own game and make sure I can work as hard as I can.”
And if Elliott gets the call on Saturday, expect fireworks. The teenager, after all, has a score to settle.
