There is perhaps no Liverpool player for whom the arrival of Arne Slot as coach in 2024 was a bigger negative than Harvey Elliott. Under Jürgen Klopp previously, the undersized attacking midfielder had looked a lock in the club’s long-term plans. But under Slot, Elliott struggled.
After a year together and despite being named Player of the Tournament at that summer’s U21 Euros, Elliott was deemed surplus to requirements and sent to Aston Villa in a loan-to-buy deal that saw him benched when Villa decided
they didn’t want to trigger a £35M purchase option.
It meant two largely wasted seasons at a key stage in the now 23-year-old’s development. And while some players are set back by injury, this felt a setback largely outside of Elliott’s control. Now, though, he’s back at Liverpool with a second chance and at least hoping for the best.
“Everyone knows how much I love the club so the feeling never goes of putting the shirt back on, representing the club, and fulfilling your childhood dream,” Elliott reflected after his appearance in Wednesday’s 1-0 pre-season victory over Wrexham under new head coach Andoni Iraola.
“I wanted a new challenge. I wanted to explore something, come out of my comfort zone, and I thought that would take me on as a player. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, but the way I see it is it’s kind of a second chance, especially with the gaffer and new coaching staff coming in.
“It’s another chance to impress and hopefully get in their good books. But whatever happened last season, I wish Villa nothing but the very best. I had a lot of love for them and they treated me very well. I’m here now, and I’m trying to cement my spot in the team or within the squad.”
He’s also doing his best to view the past two seasons, and last year with Villa in particular, positively, looking for the silver lining in the setback even while what 2026-27 might hold for him—and whether even his future lies at Liverpool or elsewhere—appears to remain far from certain.
“I wouldn’t say it was a lost year because at the end of it I won the Europa League,” Elliott noted. “To have that is incredible, especially with Villa. I saw with my own eyes how much it meant and I wouldn’t say it’s a lost year when you achieved something like that because that’s selfish.
“It was a situation I couldn’t control. So it was just a case of accepting it and just trying to get my head clear and get myself in the best position to come back here, and I tried as hard as I could at Villa. I still feel like I can get better and I’m working as hard as I can to do that here.”
