Harvey Elliott, a midfielder for Liverpool, has emerged as a crucial member of Jürgen Klopp’s squad. His contribution to the squad in a revised capacity should not be disregarded.

Harvey Elliott has begun the new season exceptionally well for both his club and country. During the international hiatus, he amassed two assists and three goals in his previous three appearances for the England U21s. He has been performing admirably for Liverpool.

Elliott has started the same number of Premier League matches thus far this season as Kalvin Phillips did for Manchester City during the entire previous campaign, but he has already logged nearly the same number of minutes. Although those minutes typically originate from the substitutes’ bench, that should not be disregarded.

Elliott is, without a doubt, playing a substantial role in the remaining competitions; if Liverpool were to qualify for the Champions League the following season, he would be able to contribute more significantly to more consequential matches due to the increased number of major events. However, Elliott has found a position that fits him and his club admirably for the time being.

Fixtures are now significantly longer than 90 minutes due to the fact that referees in the Premier League have been instructed to apply stricter levels of added time in an effort to prevent time wasting, which has resulted in more minutes in each game. It has become customary to observe the addition of eight to nine minutes to the second half in isolation.

In conjunction with the five substitutions allowed per team per game, this has never meant more than when players enter the game from the sideline. Having someone who appears to be an expert at rapidly adjusting to a game regardless of the circumstances is extraordinarily advantageous.

It is essentially Liverpool in a new capacity. Although Divock Origi has served as a substitute in the past, Jürgen Klopp now has access to a player of a different caliber. The Reds are more diversified than ever before, which ensures they always have options at their disposal when a game requires a turnaround or closure.

While there is potential for future specialists to emerge, Elliott is currently the one who is consistently contributing from the sidelines in the Premier League. His performance has been less than stellar since the beginning; with Dominik Szoboszlai and other candidates ahead of him in the pecking order, he may need to acclimate himself to this position.

The ‘finisher’s’ significance has, nevertheless, increased in light of the current length of games and the ability to rotate half of your outfield starters in each contest. Elliott possesses the qualities of the optimal candidate for the role.

One advantage of having players who are lifelong Liverpool supporters is that they may be more tolerant than others of a brief absence from regular playing time. That may be the case with Elliott, but he is also gaining considerable playing time in a position that has been redesigned for the Reds’ roster.