“It’s been a privilege…” – Harvey Elliott posts emotional farewell message after Liverpool exit | OneFootball

Alexander Isak’s eventual signing was obviously the headline story from a hugely eventful transfer deadline day for Liverpool, but Harvey Elliott was the main outgoing from Anfield.

Shortly after the club confirmed the arrival of the Swedish striker, they announced that the 22-year-old Englishman has joined Aston Villa on loan for the remainder of this season.

As per The Athletic, the deal contains an obligation to become a permanent transfer once he makes 10 appearances for Unai Emery’s side in 2025/26, with the fee cited at £35m by Merseyside sources and £30m by those from the Midlands.

Image via avfc.co.uk

Elliott pens emotional farewell to Liverpool

A couple of hours after Elliott’s exit to Villa Park was announced, he took to Instagram with an emotional farewell message to everyone connected with Liverpool.

The 22-year-old wrote: “When I joined Liverpool in 2019 it was a dream come true for me and my family. As a young child I travelled the world supporting the team as a fan and words will never be able to explain the feeling I had when I pulled on that famous red shirt for the first time as a player.

“Over the course of the last six years I’ve experienced so much and grown from a young 16 year old boy into a man during my time at the club. Growing up I could never have imagined that I’d go on to play 150 games for my boyhood team, winning 7 major trophies and culminating in being part of the squad to have won the Premier League last season with such a special group.

“Thank you to everybody at the club for welcoming me from the very first day I arrived and for looking after me ever since. Thank you to the board and Jurgen Klopp for helping me live my dream of becoming a Liverpool player. To Arne Slot, all of the coaches and staff who have helped me along the way and of course my teammates. It’s been a privilege to play with you all and I feel lucky to have made so many lifelong friends along the way.

“To the incredible Liverpool fans. Thank you for making me one of your own and for always supporting me through both good and tough times. I’ll always cherish the bond we have together. I will always have Liverpool in my heart.

“It’s now time for a new challenge. I am incredibly ambitious and feel that at this stage of my career it’s important to be in an environment where I’m able to have the opportunity to play and progress as much as possible.

“Thank you all for everything. See you soon! YNWA ❤️”

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Elliott was unlucky not to have played more regularly for Liverpool

Elliott literally arrived at Liverpool as a boy and left as a man, having been just 16 when he joined from Fulham and now moving to Aston Villa as a 22-year-old with a Premier League winner’s medal (and six other trophy triumphs) and 15 goals in 149 appearances for the Reds.

Whilst he never quite managed to nail down a place as a guaranteed starter at Anfield and saw his game-time reduced after Slot replaced Klopp, he still made some memorable contributions, most notably his late winning goals away to Crystal Palace in 2023/24 and Paris Saint-Germain last season.

If anything, he was a victim of timing and his own versatility, having had to compete with Mo Salah for a place on the right flank and Dominik Szoboszlai for an attacking midfield berth. His ability to adapt to multiple positions often saw him held in reserve and brought on to do whatever job his coach needed of him.

A boyhood Liverpool fan, Elliott’s love of playing for the club has been evident throughout his time on Merseyside. Even when professing his appetite to go elsewhere so that he could play regularly, it was laced with regret that he’d had to leave his beloved Reds in order to do so.

Let’s hope that Emery shows demonstrable faith in the gifted 22-year-old and will grant him the regular starting appearances of which he was deprived at Anfield, not through any real fault of his own, but rather because of the exceptional level of competition for places.

Thanks for everything, Harvey – you deserve the very best in the Midlands and for the remainder of your career!

You can view Elliott’s farewell message on Instagram below, via harvelliott:

🔗 Instagram