Liverpool changed club rules for Virgil van Dijk replacement and he's still only 16 years old

At some point down the line Liverpool face the impossible task of trying to replace Virgil van Dijk.

But plenty of Liverpool fans feel as though they already have a ready-made replacement in the ranks in Amara Nallo, who is half Van Dijk's age.

Nallo signed for the Reds from West Ham in the summer and already he's been getting rage reviews.

Despite only being 16, he's started the last four games for Liverpool's Under 21 side - having made his debut against Benfica in the Premier League International Cup.

He did so alongside 20-year-old Jarell Quansah, who made his first start for the club in a 3-1 away win at Wolves in September.

Liverpool typically would not start someone like Nallo in such a fixture but decided Nallo was up to the task.

Image: Getty

And manager Barry Lewtas spoke glowingly of him, stating that he "didn't play like a 16-year-old".

Speaking to Liverpool's official website, he said: "Amara was excellent. Him and Carter Pinnington have been playing quite regularly for us so far together. Listen, he is just 16, and I don't think we've ever asked a lad that young to play at centre-back against senior opposition. He should be really proud of his performance.

"I think the main thing for Amara is he played ever so well but he didn't let any kind of mistakes or momentum shifts in the game affect him. So he didn't play like a 16-year-old, that's for sure."

Image: Getty

Van Dijk signed for Liverpool in 2018 for a club-record £75 million fee and was named captain at the start of the current campaign following Jordan Henderson's controversial departure to Al Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia.

In a major change, the Dutchman has decided to implement a mandatory pre-match team huddle before games as a way to provide last-minute motivation.