Liverpool winger Harvey Elliott has returned to full training after he suffered a horrific injury during a 3-0 win against Leeds back in September.The 18-year-old had a bright opening to the 2021/22 Premier League season, breaking into the first team of his boyhood club to start in all four of the Reds’ opening games.But Elliott’s season was suddenly put on hold after he dislocated his ankle in an accidental challenge with Leeds defender Pascal Struijk.The severity of the injury was quickly seen on the field, with Mohammed Salah rushing to aid the young winger, while team doctor Jim Moxon also raced onto the pitch just seconds later.After making his senior debut for the club back in 2019, the setback came at perhaps the worst possible time for Elliott, who was growing into Jurgen Klopp’s side as one of their most exciting young talents.Despite the distressing nature of the incident, the youngster has shown amazing character to come back from the injury, having been sidelined for four months.Liverpool fans will also remember Elliott giving away his match shirt to a young fan who had been taken to hospital at the same time as the player.
While Elliott has often received the plaudits of many for his footballing talents, he also recently received the praise of his manager, who claimed that the player is beyond his years mentally.
“From a mental point of view, Harvey is rather an old soul, I would say he is very mature for a young age,” Klopp said in a press conference in November, per The Liverpool Echo.
"He is completely fine with the situation, he has accepted it, he deals with it.
"Everybody around tries to help him. I think I must try and cheer him up some days, but it is rarely needed because he has a brilliant family at home and is a rather positive fella.”
And it appears no one is more excited to see Elliott back in training than the Liverpool manager.
A video has gone viral on Twitter showing the 18-year-old jogging onto a training pitch at Liverpool’s AXA Training Center.
Surrounded by a crowd of players, Klopp picks Elliott out of the bunch and makes a bee-line towards the winger.
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Opening his arms out wide, the manager embraces him in a massive hug, lifting the player off the ground in a wholesome ‘father son’ moment.
Take a look at the heartwarming video below…
You can really see why Klopp is seen as a paternal figure by his players.
Fans have been reacting to the video on Twitter, with many agreeing that the German is more than just a football manager…
While Elliott has returned to training, it’s still uncertain when he’ll be fully ready to play for the side, with The Liverpool Echo reporting that he is likely to return at the beginning of March.