Liverpool starlet’s ‘difficult’ Swansea debut assessed by new manager

Highly-rated Liverpool prospect Rhian Brewster has had his Swansea City debut assessed by his new manager.

Last week, the 19-year-old striker joined Steve Cooper’s Swans on a loan deal until the end of the season  and was thrown into the deep end in the South Wales derby against Cardiff City.

The game finished goalless, but Brewster completed all 90 minutes of the fiercely contested Championship clash between two local rivals.

It was a frustrating game at times for the youngster, who nevertheless put in an enthusiastic display, getting booked in the first-half for a late and overzealous challenge on Cardiff’s Lee Tomlin – much to the delight of his new coach.

“It was a difficult game for him, but we saw glimpses of his athleticism, his mentality and his willingness to be positive,” Cooper told SwanseaCity.com.

“He started with a yellow card closing down, which tells you everything about him.

“It was a good experience for him, but he is here to deliver too and I felt he did a good job for the team.

“Of course, we would have liked to create more chances with him on the end of them.

“I know the player, I know his attitude and he will catch the eye for what he does going towards goal.

“But he works so hard, he presses really well. He likes a battle and I know he can handle that part of the league with no problem.”

There’s hope within Liverpool that Brewster will have a big future at his parent club, such have been his eye-catching performances in the youth ranks, and he already boasts a Champions League winners medal having been in their squad last season.

But Jurgen Klopp’s Reds have opted to send him elsewhere in search of first-team minutes for the rest of the season, such is the competition in their squad at present. He hasn’t played any minutes in their Premier League title challenge, with chances limited to the cup competitions.

Brewster himself sounded delighted at the opportunity to start for Swansea and

“What a game to come into,” said the young striker after Sunday’s match.

“Our fans were brilliant. It was tough. They played a lot of long balls, so it was a bit of a fight, but the boys dug deep.

“I thought I played alright but I feel like I have a lot more to come. “Obviously, it would have been nice to get a goal, but I’m all for the team. I didn’t help them as much as I would have liked but, hopefully, I can in the coming weeks.

“I will just take the positives from the game. It’s great to make my debut for the Swans and my first senior league appearance; it gives me confidence that I was thrown straight into the starting line-up.

“I was disappointed with my shots; I dragged them a bit.

“But I’ll get back on the training pitch and try to improve so that when I’m in those positions again, I can maybe score or hit the target at least.

“I’ll just keep trying to push on and help the team as much as I can.