Liverpool star Kaide Gordon 'wowed' Pep Lijnders in training | OneFootball

The path to the summits can sometimes be paved with pitfalls, and Liverpool academy star Kaide Gordon can testify to this difficult experience. But at the end of the tunnel there is often a glimmer of hope for those who are worthy of it.

Football comes naturally to the Gordon family. As the middle child in a group of five, Kaide was quick to pick it up. "My first memory of Kaide playing football is when me and my brother used to stick Kaide in goal and just smash balls at him all day. He had no choice but to play," Kellan, his eldest, recalled in The Athletic. "You either played or you weren't involved. We were always playing football. Even if it was raining we were outside playing." In fact, just as his older brother - who now plays for Crawley Town in League Two - had done before him, Kaide joined Derby County's academy.

It's a familiar club for the Gordons, and one that his two other brothers, Keldon and Chase, have also played at. From the moment he joined the U9 team in 2013, young Kaide impressed. His development went from strength to strength and, in 2020, he was awarded the title of 'Academy Player of the Year' by academy coaching staff members.

His rapid ascent opened the door to the professional squad in December of the same year. Thrown into the deep end by then manager Wayne Rooney, the Rams' number 41 got his first Championship minutes in a comprehensive 4-0 win over Birmingham City on the 29th of December. It was his first and last appearance for Derby's senior side, making him the fourth-youngest player to pull on the club's colours - at 16 years, two months and 24 days.

Kaide Gordon's time at Liverpool so far

Alerted to the young player's potential, Liverpool did not take long to move in to secure Gordon's services. And so, in January 2021, Michael Edwards, the sporting director of the Reds, and Julian Ward, his assistant, concluded negotiations by getting the 16-year-old (born on the 4th of October 2004) to sign his new contract - a deal that was concluded for around £1.1m, with bonuses that could bring the total to £3.4m. Speaking after the move was confirmed, Derby's academy director Darren Wassall told Goal: "Kaide is a special talent, and it's great to see that he's already doing well and making an impression. Everyone here is buzzing for him."

A speedy starter for Liverpool's U18s (six goals and three assists in eight appearances), Gordon made his debut for the reserves on the 10 May with a goal against Leicester (2-0 win). That was enough to prompt Jurgen Klopp to call him up for the Reds' pre-season tour, and even offer him some game time.

Back for the 2021-22 season under Barry Lewtas, it didn't take long for Gordon to find his way back into the first team. So much so that, on the 21st of September, he made his official debut in a 3-0 defeat of Norwich City in the third round of the Carabao Cup. On his Anfield debut on the 9th of January 2022, Gordon scored his first professional goal against Shrewsbury Town, becoming Liverpool's second-youngest goalscorer in all competitions, and their youngest ever scorer in the FA Cup - at the age of 17 years and 96 days.

A week later, he earned his first Premier League start in a 3-0 win over Brentford, before earning another opportunity from Klopp when the Reds travelled to Arsenal in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg. At the same time, in October, he signed the first professional contract of his career. But just as everything seemed to be going swimmingly for the new Liverpool starlet, terrible news struck to spoil his rise. At the beginning of February, after a match against Leeds United with the U21 team, Gordon alerted the club's medical staff to pain in his pelvis. He underwent a number of tests, but the verdict was that he was suffering from nothing more than growing pains.

Forced to take a break in his development, the young player had to wait until the 3rd of September 2023, a year and seven months after his last appearance, to be able to play again. Initially re-used with the reserves, Gordon was soon back in Klopp's squad, with whom he has so far played two games since the start of the 2023-24 season. The German coach welcomed his return.

Having now firmly shaken off his physical problems, it seems that the best is yet to come for Gordon. Indeed, speaking of the future, Gordon could well be knocking on the door of the Three Lions soon - he already has one cap at U18 level with England, while the Burton upon Trent native also has caps at lower level, with the U15s and U16s.

Kaide Gordon's style of play

Like his team-mate Ben Doak, Gordon is a player who likes to play on one wing, with a preference for the right flank, and has a small stature (5 ft 6). But while the Scot has a very good right foot, it is his left foot that gets Gordon noticed - a characteristic that allows him to get into the heart of the game if necessary when he cuts inside from the touchline.

"I saw one player and he has fire in each moment that he touches the ball," said Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders after watching him with the U23s. "He passes players like they are not standing there. I called Jurgen [Klopp] immediately and was like, 'Wow! We have a new player here'." Fast, agile and always looking to get forward, Gordon fits the typical profile of a winger used to playing for Liverpool. Although he still has a long way to go before establishing himself as a benchmark, he can already benefit from the advice of one of the best players in the world in Mohamed Salah.

What next for Kaide Gordon at Liverpool

Although he has recently returned to the pitch, it should not be forgotten that Gordon is coming back from a very long injury, which momentarily cut short his development. At only 19-years-old, and even though he appears to have Klopp's full confidence, the attacker could well be inspired by the idea of finding game time at a Championship club, a competition with which he is already familiar.

While Liverpool are certainly not in the position to part with their talented youngster for good, the possibility of loaning him out could quickly become a reality. Unless, of course, his manager decides to rely on him more and more, as he did with Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones. Integrating Gordon into the first-team more over the campaign could see Liverpool develop an in-house replacement for Salah when the time comes for the Egyptian's departure.