Stefan Bajcetic has made a surprise step into Liverpool’s first-team long-term this season, with the youngster “far ahead” in his development.
There have been high hopes for Bajcetic since he swapped Celta de Vigo for Liverpool on the eve of Brexit in 2021, before new transfer rules kicked in.
UK clubs are no longer allowed to sign foreign players under the age of 18, but the Reds were smart to agree a £224,000 deal hours before the changes went live.
After a season and a half in the academy, Bajcetic has joined the first-team squad this season, with an impressive pre-season and injuries to Jurgen Klopp’s midfield making him a fixture.
The 17-year-old has been part of the matchday squad seven times, including making his competitive debut in a 9-0 win over Bournemouth, while the club also saw fit to sign him up for the Champions League.
Both Klopp and assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders have effusively praised Bajcetic, and according to the Liverpool Echo’s Paul Gorst, members of the club see him as “well ahead of their long-term agenda”.
Staff are said to be “delighted with the progress made by Bajcetic both over the summer and overall since joining the club”, highlighting his “growth and development”.
However, there is still a “reluctance to expose him too much so early in his career”.
Bajcetic remains eligible for both the Under-18s and Under-21s, although there is little chance he will play in Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s younger age group, and he is part of the UEFA 40-Under-19 squad. YouthLeague. .
He already featured for the U21s in the 3-0 loss to Man City and the 1-0 win over Blackburn, but first-team commitments have restricted his outings.
“I see him every day because he’s still training with us and he’s still with us,” U21 coach Barry Lewtas explained.
“Obviously he goes there and plays with the [the senior team] and we have Stefan and Bobby Clark who do that as well.
“We can add both of them to our mix as well if we need to, so in terms of Stefan, we have a really good system in place to not lose touch with the guys.”
Lewtas added: “You’re getting the best of both worlds right now.”
