Roy Keane and Ian Wright joined in praising Harvey Elliott after the midfielder helped Liverpool reach the FA Cup fifth round with a superb goal on his return in the side’s 3-1 win over Cardiff.
Elliott suffered a horrendous ankle injury in Liverpool’s victory at Leeds last September and missed the club’s last 30 matches in all competitions heading into this weekend’s clash.
The 18-year-old was named on the bench for the first time at Anfield and came on in place of Naby Keita, with the hosts holding a narrow advantage thanks to Diogo Jota’s smart 53rd-minute header.
Takumi Minamino extended Liverpool’s lead with a close-range effort 15 minutes later before a lively Elliott produced arguably the moment of the tie, taking the ball down brilliantly before arrowing a thunderous strike past Dillon Phillips.
Cardiff midfielder Rubin Colwill reduced the deficit with ten minutes remaining of normal time, but the Merseyside giants held firm to secure their place in the next round where they will play host to Norwich.
In his post-match interview with ITV Sport, Elliott paid tribute to his friends, family and Liverpool physio Joe Lewis for the support they had provided throughout his rehabilitation.
‘It is still hard to put into words at the moment, this is what I am in the team to do, score and assist and thankfully it came today in front of the fans after a long time out,’ he said.
‘It is my job but a moment myself and my family will remember.
‘The goal wasn’t too bad, watching Diogo Jota who has been banging them in left, right and centre and getting a few tips from him.
‘The list goes on but one man most important is Joe Lewis, one of the physios. He took me in the early hours until late at night and got me strong again.
‘Big shoutout to my family, friends, mum and dad who helped and supported me throughout. A massive thank you to everyone…
Source : metro
