Ki-Jana Hoever became the youngest player ever to play for Liverpool in the FA Cup on Monday night after Dejan Lovren was forced off with an injury minutes into their third round tie with Wolves at Molineux.
Ki-Jana Hoever is the youngest ever player to feature for Liverpool in the FA Cup; the third-youngest in their history.
He was born in 2002. ? pic.twitter.com/4VFMT20o1v
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) January 7, 2019
Who is Ki-Jana Hoever?
The 16-year-old who can play at full back or centre back was signed from Ajax and was recently promoted to the senior squad by Jurgen Klopp following injuries to Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and the move of Nathaniel Clyne to Bournemouth on loan.
Klopp will most definitely rue the circumstances surrounding Hoever's introduction to senior action, though the Dutch youngster has looked okay since his introduction.
Liverpool U18 coach Barry Lewtas has spoken about Hoever, stating that he believes he will fit in well at the club:
I don't want to sell him too much. He's early in his journey here, he'll take some time to adapt.
What I can say is that he's trained really well and I know he's going to fit in really well.
Klopp has also spoken about the exciting prospect, though admitted he would not be in the first team if it wasn't for injuries to key players:
If Joel (Matip) and Joe (Gomez) would have been fit all the time now then probably Ki-Jana would not have been in training. Now he was in and still is in, it's just a joy to watch him.
He's an incredible, confident, young fella and he's really a good player on top. That we can see him day in, day out is really cool.
Tonight Ki-Jana Hoever became the youngest player to appear for the Reds in the FA Cup at 16 years, 11 months and 21 days and the third youngest in all competitions behind Jerome Sinclair (16 years, 6 days) and Jack Robinson (16 years, 250 days)
