'Great Strength And Persistence' - Media Wowed By Liverpool Talent Following Crystal Palace Display

Liverpool have a number of top-quality centre-backs, all of whom are good enough to play on any occasion for the Reds, but one youngster might be pushing for further first team chances this season.

That man is Sepp van den Berg, a highly rated Dutchman who has spent the last season and a half on loan at Preston North End in the Championship.

The 20-year-old returned to Liverpool stronger thanks to his time playing senior football in England’s second tier.

And if his pre-season performance is anything to go by, he could cause Jürgen Klopp some selection headaches in the future.

van den Berg has received high praise after being introduced as a substitute earlier today in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in Singapore.

The Liverpool Echo noted the youngster “showed great strength and persistence” in defensive situations against Palace.

For van den Berg though, a pathway into Jürgen Klopp’s first team plans isn’t exactly clear.

The Dutchman currently has 4 fellow centre-halves ahead of him in the pecking order at Anfield.

First, his compatriot, the ever-present and undroppable Virgil Van Dijk.

Then, there are the likes of Ibrahima Konaté, Joel Matip, and Joe Gomez. The latter of whom has recently put pen to paper with a contract extension on Merseyside.

Granted, Van Dijk and Matip won’t play forever, and they’re both the wrong side of 30, but defenders notoriously boast better career longevity than their attacking counterparts.

And the youngster’s playing opportunities this season have already been hindered by Gomez’s new contract, with the English centre-back surely expecting more playing time off the back of the extension.

van den Berg is an excellent talent, and could well become a prominent figure in the Liverpool dressing room one day.

For now though, there is little sense in Liverpool keeping him around.

Looking to find him another loan move would be wise, perhaps at a Premier League club.

If he is to carry on developing as he is, he needs to be playing more and more senior football.