Trey Nyoni can be Liverpool's generational secret weapon ...

A new era is underway at Liverpool and that comes with a few guarantees – endless comparison to Jurgen Klopp, the words ‘project’ and ‘process’ being used an insufferable amount and some truly terrible plays using the surname ‘Slot’.

We say this knowing full well that we here at Planet Football are no better than your average Twitter tactico, as we begin to tell you all about how ‘Slotball’ might already be in full swing.

Sorry. But it’s true – it’s damn true as one Kurt Angle would say.

Kurt Angle and Arne Slot have more in common than you might think, actually. Both champion the bald head look, sure, but they also both pride themselves on intensity, integrity and intelligence.

That’s not to suggest that Slot is about to have his new-look Liverpool side walk out of Anfield in singlets to chants of ‘you suck!’ anytime soon as fun as that sounds, but the mantra is actually a solid way of knowing what to expect from the Reds this season as they move towards ‘Slotball’.

It’s not getting any easier on the eyes, is it?

Thankfully, there’s one young baller epitomising the new philosophy who might just be good enough to make the term sound beautiful after all. Trey Nyoni has earned rave reviews since signing for Liverpool from Leicester in 2023 and for good reason.

The 2007-born (yes, really) midfielder has been on our radars before as a player to watch develop in the coming years, but perhaps even we have underestimated his abilities and mistook actual readymade talent for potential, with the way he’s fitted seamlessly into Slot’s senior squad during Liverpool’s pre-season campaign.

Nyoni’s first season as a Red saw him quickly outgrow under-18 level and break into Liverpool’s under-21 side, making 11 Premier League 2 appearances on top of 18 under-18 Premier League appearances.

Seven goals and two assists across all competitions tells you a little bit of what to expect from the attacking midfielder, whose eye for goal combined with technique makes for a harrowing attacker to try and keep quiet, but the icing on the cake was his full debut in the FA Cup under Klopp.

That was the biggest sign of all that the teenager has the potential for an amazing future at Liverpool – until he announced himself to the new boss with an immediate impact from the bench in Liverpool’s final pre-season contest against Sevilla.

Introduced after 63 minutes with Luis Diaz having already bagged a brace and the score sat at 3-2, it took Nyoni just four minutes to send Anfield into a frenzy with an exceptionally cool finish, oozing with a seriously enviable amount of technical excellence.

Whisper it quietly, but it was Zidane-esque.

Trey Nyoni, just turned 17 topping off a brilliant pre season with a goal at The Kop endpic.twitter.com/AAFtjy2GzH

— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) August 11, 2024

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Picking up a dangerous position around the edge of the box – something Nyoni appears to excel in when watching him closely – a poorly defended cross suddenly finds itself sat up nicely in front of the teenager.

He needs no invitation and swipes through the ball to send it flying into the back of the net in front of the Kop, putting the gloss on an already impressive pre-season campaign. What a way to make a statement with the Premier League just a week away from kick-off.

Progressing the ball forward is simple, but by no means is it easy. It’s a skill that separates an average midfielder from a truly great midfielder, and it’s a skill that Nyoni already seems to have nailed down so soon into his career.

Be it looking for the line-splitting pass or carrying the ball himself into high-pressure areas, his attacking awareness transcends his age.

There are obvious physical limitations, but Liverpool only need to look across the M62 towards a certain maestro balling out at Old Trafford to be sure that age is simply a number when the talent is undeniable.

Slotball looks to have already arrived and Nyoni might just be the breakthrough jigsaw piece to ensure we see it in full flow in 2024-25.

By Mitch Wilks