Arne Slot has thrown his support behind Jayden Danns, giving the youngster a 'very good career' after his goal in Liverpool's 4-0 thrashing of Accrington Stanley.
However, Slot admitted that he is in the dark about whether the striker will be loaned out in January. The 18-year-old impressed as a substitute, scoring his third goal for the Reds and securing a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Danns was due to leave Anfield on loan last summer to see regular first-team action this season, but was forced to curtail those plans after an injury setback. He marked his return to the first team with a substitute against Southampton in the League Cup and scored his first goal of the season on Saturday.
And while Slot remains uncertain about Danns' immediate future, he did not praise the player's attitude, saying: “The last thing [going out on loan in January]I don't know that at the moment. It is for us [today] it was all about the players who hadn't played that much, giving them playing time. And we gave some youngsters some playing time.
'What I like most about him [Danns] and most academy players are the mentality they have. That is a big compliment for him and certainly a big compliment for our youth academy, because when you are young and come to the first team, you sometimes get used to things in a way that you might not expect. Although it is common in football, you play with the other team who sometimes have to copy the team we are facing here, sometimes you are in a different position.
“He is a striker, but when we play 11-on-11 and I make the choice to play against Jota, Darwin plays as a nine, so he has to play as an 11 or a six or whatever position. But he will, like all other academy players, give everything he has and James McConnell is a perfect example of that.
If that's your mentality, you can achieve it and definitely maximize your potential, and that's what's going to happen with him.
“What his potential is, it probably takes some time to find out if he will ultimately be a starter for us, but he will have a very good career because of his mentality, I am very sure.”
The Reds boss also had words of admiration for Accrington Stanley's brave display at Anfield and praised their dedication to their playing style.
“First of all, my compliments for the way they showed themselves here today,” he said. “Before the match starts, you watch a few of their games and you see that they are not afraid to keep up the pressure, not afraid to play 1-on-1. But then you always wonder if they will do the same at Anfield, but they certainly did.” They were not afraid.
“Their playing style is also that when the goalkeeper has the ball he has to play long, so that's no different. It's not like they stole him from the team we played against last week. This is just their style. showed up in a very positive way.” way.”
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