Harvey Elliott proved to be the ultimate impact substitute for Liverpool against Paris Saint-Germain tonight, and at half-time he received what turned out to be some sound advice!
The 21-year-old was sprung from the bench in the 86th minute as the Reds continued to cling on for dear life, with the home side somehow failing to score despite having 27 shots as Alisson Becker produced a goalkeeping masterclass.
Within 60 seconds of replacing Mo Salah, the ex-Fulham youngster took aim at goal and his effort was too strong for Gianluigi Donnarumma to keep out.
What did McManaman say to Elliott at half-time?
Steve McManaman was on punditry duty for TNT Sports in Paris, although he broke off during half-time for a quick word with Elliott, who was doing a quick warm-up with the rest of the Liverpool substitutes.
After the match, the former Reds winger was asked what he told the goalscorer, and the 53-year-old revealed: “I just said to him, ‘When you get your chance, open your body up and whip it round the corner’. I said I’d give him a cuddle after the game when you get the winner!”
Elliott is on a rich vein of form in the Champions League
Elliott has had to be incredibly patient for game-time this season, having yet to start a Premier League match under Arne Slot and having only one 90-minute outing in the Champions League, which came in a much-changed line-up for the concluding league phase trip to PSV Eindhoven (Transfermarkt).
However, he’s now netted in three European matches in a row, an excellent return from only 160 minutes on the pitch in the competition this term.
Donnarumma might feel that he ought to have kept out the 21-year-old’s shot, but the youngster had the intelligence to run into the vacant space and latch onto a neat pass from Darwin Nunez, along with the technique to ensure that the ball nestled inthe back of the PSG net.
Will those late heroics be enough to see Elliott start his first league game of the season against Southampton on Saturday? Maybe, maybe not, but he’s definitely been living up to the ‘supersub’ tag in Liverpool’s Champions League campaign!
