Trey Nyoni has named one former Liverpool midfielder as a role model who he strives to emulate in his own career.
For young midfielders of the modern era dreaming of breaking into the Reds’ first team, legendary former captain Steven Gerrard might seem like the most obvious reference point as inspiration.
However, for the 19-year-old, it’s someone who’s played for the club most recently on whom he seeks to model his own game.
Nyoni names Thiago as his role model
Speaking after his first Champions League start for Liverpool in midweek, Nyoni named Thiago Alcantara as the player he watches the most as he sets out on his own professional journey.
The teenage Reds midfielder said (via Daily Mail): “For me, I always watch players like Thiago. For me, Thiago, yeah, he is the guy!”
(Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
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Thiago is an excellent example for Nyoni to try and emulate
Nyoni and Thiago never got to play together for Liverpool, although that crossover was agonisingly close to happening.
The teenager made his senior debut in an FA Cup win over Southampton on 28 February 2024, just three-and-a-half weeks after the Spaniard’s final Reds appearance in a Premier League defeat at Arsenal as injury problems ended his season (and his playing career) prematurely.
The ex-Barcelona man was an absolute delight to watch in his four years at Anfield, with his technical qualities among the best we’ve ever seen in a red shirt, as exemplified by his famous half-volley goal against Porto in November 2021.
Even when he came back to Merseyside for the Liverpool Legends match earlier this year, Thiago was running the show and looked as though he’d still hold his own competitively despite the injury issues which prompted his early retirement.
Now 35, his trophy haul includes 11 domestic league titles and two Champions League triumphs. If Nyoni can get anywhere close to that by the end of his career, the Reds youngster will no doubt go on to be held up as a role model for the subsequent generation of midfielders breaking through at Anfield.