Trey Nyoni frequently navigates the fine line between Liverpool’s senior squad and its Academy teams. The talented midfielder has participated in matches for Arne Slot’s Premier League champions, as well as the U21, U19, and U18 teams throughout the 2024-25 season. A straightforward inquiry can reveal which team he currently identifies with in his burgeoning career: Which dining facility do you frequent at the AXA Training Centre? ‘I typically align with the U21 squad, as that is where I spend the majority of my time,’ the 17-year-old shared with Liverpoolfc.com. ‘I occasionally transition to the first team for training sessions. However, having played a few senior matches does not necessarily indicate that one has achieved success.’
‘A few’ currently equates to six appearances for Nyoni, who debuted as a 16-year-old in an Emirates FA Cup tie with Southampton in February 2024.He made history at the start of this year by becoming Liverpool’s youngest player to appear in Europe.The England youth international came off the bench in the Champions League tie at PSV Eindhoven at the age of 17 years and seven months, to break the record Phil Charnock held for nearly 33 years.Hitting these kinds of milestones is the reason why he chose to join the Reds from Leicester City at the beginning of last season.He explains: “I was thinking I just need to come somewhere where I can learn from the best and train with the best. I thought coming to Liverpool would be good.”Coming here and seeing the first-team pathway and players before coming and breaking through, I thought it was good for me to come here and see if I can do the same.”This rise has naturally thrust a typically reserved teenager into the consciousness of a fan base that stretches all over the globe.Thankfully, any shyness the Reading-born starlet carries falls by the wayside for 90 minutes when taking to a football pitch.”It’s new to me because being at my former club Leicester wasn’t as big as coming here,” Nyoni says. “I didn’t really know what to expect. You see how the fans [are], they are just crazy.”I just take it within my stride. Obviously if I see anyone, I’ll always take my time to be nice to people and stuff like that. It’s good as well because it’s all part of the experience.”That’s what I enjoy doing, that’s what I love doing – just playing football with a smile on my face.”Meet the Academy: How street football shaped Josh Sonni-Lambie’s gameLabelled an ‘interesting player’ by Slot in pre-season, Nyoni offers an abundance of quality and versatility in the middle of the park.He reveals during this chat as part of our Meet the Academy series that he now attempts to style his game in the manner Thiago Alcantara did for Liverpool, and Barcelona and Bayern Munich before that.
Nyoni says: “Just his calmness on the ball, how elegant he is and he was also underrated off the ball as well – he used to work hard a lot as well. Just his elegance on the ball is just top.”I was playing midfield before I came here, so I had already started playing in all different roles – like a six, eight and 10.”I think it’s good for me anyway because I feel like I get a lot of the ball. I’m happy to be on the pitch anywhere but I like playing as a six or eight.”I feel that’s where I’m most comfortable because I like when I can see the game and can play the ball through the lines.”Nyoni’s adaptation to the senior set-up has been made easier by the welcoming environment he has found there.In particular, he singles out the guidance received from Curtis Jones, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, the latter pushing him towards the Kop to soak in the moment of scoring in a pre-season game with Sevilla.”All of them have been good but the first person that spoke to me was the captain,” Nyoni recalls. “Curtis as well has helped me a lot since I’ve come up. He’s always there, looking out for me. Ibou as well.”Everyone has been good and always just trying to help. In training, it’s good when you’ve got everyone training at a high standard because then you know what the level is.”There remains an ongoing adjustment period to that level Nyoni refers to. A Premier League bow is the next target in his sights.He is hungry to keep adding to his appearance total – and whatever further records may follow – and determined for this to just be the beginning of a fruitful career with the club.He finishes: “It’s nice being a part of it but ultimately what you strive for is to play more and more.”It’s nice to have records but it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish – I always stick to that.”Hopefully I can just continue to keep on doing what I’m doing and then everything else will just sort itself out