Much-discussed Liverpool ball boy turns into a goal machine

Friday, October 22, 2021 at 12:45 pm• Last update: 12:52

In collaboration with Goal, Voetbalzone regularly highlights young players who can go far in the future or who are already earning their spurs in (inter)national top football. This time, the focus is on 17-year-old striker Oakley Cannonier, who played a key role as a ball boy in Liverpool’s phenomenal comeback against Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semi-finals. His idol, Mohamed Salah, isn’t the only goalscoring machine at the moment. who is currently with Liverpool. Cannonier’s form in the early months of the season shows that he too has the potential to become a crowd favorite at Anfield.

While Salah shines week after week in both the Premier League and Champions League, another small and unassuming attacker is making a name for himself in Liverpool’s youth academy. Perhaps Cannonier’s name rings a bell. He was the bat boy responsible for ‘assisting’ one of Anfield’s most famous goals: Trent Alexander-Arnold’s swift corner, knocked out by Divock Origi, who made the incredible comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final. sealed in 2019. Liverpool won the return 4-0, after losing 4-0 earlier in Barcelona.

The teenager prefers not to talk about it too much these days. “I want to be known as a legend for another reason, not because I’m a ball boy,” Cannonier, now 17, recently told LFCTV. “I mean, it’s good, but I want to be like Trent Alexander-Arnold, do the things he’s done.” This season, Cannonier has taken a big step forward in that regard. As Liverpool Under-18 captain, the youngster is in excellent form, scoring 12 goals in just seven games. He scored two hat-tricks, including one in the 0-5 away game against Manchester United, and five goals in friendlies.

In September, Cannonier made his debut in the Youth League, when he contributed to a draw against FC Porto in the second half as a substitute. A week later, he made his Liverpool Under-21 debut in the EFL Trophy game against Bolton Wanderers, which normally plays in League One. “Oakley has started the season very well, but that didn’t surprise me,” said Liverpool Under-18 manager Marc Bridge-Wilkinson. “I’ve been working with him since he was 14 and he’s always done a good job.” Cannonier was born in Leeds but joined Liverpool at the age of 11. He started playing football at his local after-school club, where the coaches immediately noticed his potential. The already two-legged Cannonier was immediately tipped as someone who would quickly attract the attention of scouts.

This turned out to be the case in the end, as the talented attacker ended up on Manchester City’s radar. The Citizens invited Cannonier to train as a seven-year-old. Manchester City failed to strike, but Leeds United did shortly afterwards. Cannonier was included in the Under 9 of the Whites. To put it more succinctly: At 11, he caught the eye of Ian Barrigan, a renowned Liverpool scout who previously discovered Alexander-Arnold at a young age. It was Barrigan, in particular, who convinced the Cannonier family that it would be best for Oakley’s development to make the transition to the youth academy. the Reds to make.

That initially meant that he had to live with a host family, although it wasn’t long before his mother Gemma made the decision to move the family to Merseyside. They now live within walking distance of Liverpool Football Academy in Kirkby. This turned out to be the most practical solution, because the Cannonier family has more football talent. Following Oakley’s lead, his brothers Harley (Under 12) and Barkley (Under 7) were also included in the Premier League club’s youth academy.

Cannonier may have been born in Yorkshire and his accent reveals he grew up in Leeds, but Liverpool have always been his favorite club. As a little boy, he idolized Fernando Torres and even grew his hair like that of the former number nine of the Reds. He later wore shirts with the names of Luis Suárez or Philippe Coutinho, while Salah is his big favorite these days. Cannonier hopes to follow in the footsteps of the Egyptian at Anfield in the future.

His talent is obvious. What he lacks in height (Cannonier is only six feet tall), he makes up for in skill, perseverance and insight. “Oakley is a really good player,” said Bridge-Wilkinson. “He scores goals, creates chances and poses a threat to opponents’ defence. The only problem is that he has not been able to play very much due to injuries.” Before a young player in England signs his first professional contract with a club, he is usually tied to a scholarship, which lasts for one year by default, but can be extended for another 12 months. Cannonier missed most of this first year with a hamstring injury, which prevented him from playing a part in the run from Liverpool Under 18 to the FA Youth Cup final.

During the preparation for the new season, the growth brilliant made its long-awaited return. Liverpool also expressed their confidence in Cannonier by offering him his first professional contract in July. The teenager immediately looked razor sharp, because in a friendly against Chester he was immediately good for a hat trick. “It’s just good to be back,” he said recently. “Of course you set goals for yourself, but the goal is just to play as many matches as possible.”

Cannonier has now made his England Under-17 debut and would have been part of the Under-18 squad during the international break in early October, had he not retired to focus on staying fit and performing at Liverpool. It won’t be long before fans of the Merseyside club see him at the Under 23. Goal scorers at every level are invaluable and Cannonier’s start into the new season shows he has enormous potential.

“It’s nice to be known for other things,” Bridge-Wilkinson referred to Cannonier’s famous moment as a ball boy. “But I think he would rather be known for playing football on the pitch than being on the side.” The talented attacker himself certainly agrees, and he doesn’t lack confidence either. Not long ago, the Under-18 squad was asked by Liverpool Football Academy manager Alex Inglethorpe to fill out a questionnaire in which they said how they see their career progressing. Where do they see themselves in a year, in five and ten years? Cannonier’s answer? “I said five Ballons d’Or,” he revealed, unable to contain his laughter. Nothing is as beautiful as going for the highest attainable, isn’t it?