26 October 2023 , 21:55
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Liverpool youngster Luke Chambers admitted he has taken inspiration from team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold's rise from academy starlet to first-team regular after making his own full debut.
Chambers, 19, started at left-back as Liverpool took on Toulouse in the Europa League on Thursday. Alexander-Arnold was on the opposite flank, captaining the Reds to a comfortable 5-1 victory.
It was a first ever start for Chambers, who made his Liverpool debut as a substitute against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup earlier this season. Speaking after the game, the youngster opened up on how his colleague and fellow full-back had shown him the way.
"I've dreamt of this moment since I was six," Chambers told TNT Sports after the game. "To top it off with a win as well, I'm lost for words. I found out [I was playing] yesterday and had a bit of time with family at night. The reality hit.
"Trent's done what I aspire to do," the teenager added. "Watching Trent do it gives us academy lads a stepping stone to go and recreate it. I couldn't ask for someone better to look up to."
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Luke Chambers played more than an hour for Liverpool against Toulouse (AFP via Getty Images)Alexander-Arnold was full of compliments for Chambers after the victory. Liverpool dominated, but were briefly pegged back after Diogo Jota's early opener. Wataru Endo and Darwin Nunez struck before the break to open up a 3-1 lead, with Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah on target in the second period.
"I've seen it was seven years yesterday since my debut," Alexander-Arnold said. "I still know exactly how it feels. He's been outstanding every time he's been around the team on and off the pitch. He's a real amazing player and he's got great potential. I'm sure he'll have a special night with his family."
There was a nervy moment in the second half with goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher guilty of a loose pass which led to Gabriel Suazo having the goal at his mercy. Alexander-Arnold came to his team's rescue with a goal-line block, though, and later revealed he had done similar in training in the lead-up to the game.
"I did it yesterday in training as well! It's one of them where you hope the ball is close to you," he said. "The ball hit me rather than me blocking it. Three wins out of three and it's a competition we're taking seriously."
The victory leaves Liverpool on maximum points from their three group games, potentially giving manager Jurgen Klopp the opportunity to give more minutes to youngsters in the remaining fixtures. 18-year-old Callum Scanlon came on for the final 25 minutes, while Jarell Quansah and James McConnell both entered the fray later on.