Chris Byfield
Liverpool have tied down the son of a former Premier League cult hero after he scored 90 goals in one season at youth level.
Keyrol Figueroa, a 17-year-old striker, has gained a significant reputation within the Liverpool academy, with many tipping the teenager to be the next breakthrough star at Anfield.
And the club announced on Tuesday that Figueroa has put pen to paper on his first professional contract.
The 17-year-old striker joined the Reds at under-14 level and has been a prolific goalscorer throughout his time in the youth ranks. Indeed, he recently marked his recovery from injury with a goal from the bench for the under-18s against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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Moreover, Figueroa has already demonstrated his goal-scoring prowess with a 90-goal campaign while playing for Liverpool's under-13s and under-14s teams.
Of course, born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Figueroa isn't the first footballer in his family. He is in fact the son of former Premier League defender Maynor Figueroa, who enjoyed a respectable career in England playing for Wigan.
Figueroa Sr. made some 179 Premier League appearances for the Latics between 2008 and 2015.
Meanwhile, Figueroa jr will also be hoping to one day make his mark at international level, having opted to represent the US.
He scored seven goals to help his country to the final of the CONCACAF U17 Championship in 2023 while he also played in last year’s Under-17 World Cup, where the US lost to Germany in the last 16.
The likes of Jayden Danns and Lewis Koumas have made the mark in the Liverpool first-team at various points this term, and Jurgen Klopp urged his successor back in February to not close the door on youth.
Klopp said: “We’ve said a couple of times, ‘Maybe the future doesn’t look that bad’. Maybe the people [shouldn’t] forget it the moment the transfer window opens.
“There are a couple of pretty promising players already here. Don’t close the door for them with signings.“