Harvey Elliott has had to reign in his frustration over limited game time for the sake of the team this season. The Liverpool midfielder turned game-changer on Wednesday when he fired in an 87th-minute winner against PSG ahead of next week’s second leg.
After celebrating the victory at Parc des Princes, Elliott couldn’t hide his irritation at not featuring more prominently. He had high hopes of significant gametime with new boss Arne Slot, but injuries and selections restricted him to just 507 minutes in all competitions. For contrast Mohamed Salah has played 3,396 minutes.
“I’m still young, it’s a hard thing to understand in my head really,” said Elliott,. “So there are moments within the season where I am getting angry, I am getting frustrated because I want to play, but at the same time I need to respect the situation, I need to respect the manager’s decisions.
“Some games I’m needed, some games I’m not. That’s just how football is. That’s why I feel like we’re in the position that we are in this season so far because of his decisions.
“This was another one of them where it worked in our favor. Luckily I was the chosen one, you could say, to come in and get the match winner.”
Elliott has spoken candidly with Slot about his role and how to secure more playing time. Having started two FA Cup fixtures, one League Cup, and one European match, he expressed: “We’ve had conversations. Very honest conversations and open conversations.
“It’s down to me to put the work in, to be honest, and show him everything that he’s told me. I’m trying to work on it, I’m trying to improve and I’m trying to get in this team. At the same time, I feel like I can’t get too angry and frustrated because quite frankly the team is doing amazing.
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“As I said, it’s a team game. It’s just not about me. I just need to make sure that I’m ready in moments like tonight where I can contribute. I think it’s just about staying motivated and mentally right in the head. But moments like tonight, it keeps me motivated and the hunger is still within me to go out and show what I can do.”
Elliott wasted no time against PSG, scoring within 47 seconds of his introduction; a vital contribution as his third strike in Europe this campaign.
He’s adamant that Liverpool’s bench must stay primed to make an impact as they chase silverware on multiple fronts. “We’re all going to play our part, it’s just about staying ready,” he emphasized.
