The records Luca Eden keeps breaking show why Liverpool want him tied down early
Liverpool’s academy has thrown up plenty of exciting names down the years, but few have moved through the age groups quite as quickly as Luca Eden, and the club is now working to make sure his rapid rise stays a Liverpool story rather than becoming someone else’s opportunity.
A scholarship and a pre-contract on the table
According to James Pearce of The Athletic, Liverpool are pushing to secure Eden on a scholarship ahead of next season while also working towards an agreement over his first professional contract. Eden, born in March 2011, turns 16 in March 2027 and becomes eligible to sign professional terms a year later, in March 2028. Given how far ahead the club is already planning, that timeline says a lot about how highly he is rated internally.
Breaking records before he can vote
The teenager’s rise through Liverpool’s youth ranks has been startling. He became the youngest player in the club’s U18 history when he came off the bench against Manchester United back in November, aged just 14 years, eight months and 20 days. Two months later he went one better, converting a penalty in a 7-1 win over Burnley to become Liverpool’s youngest ever U18 goalscorer at 14 years and 319 days old.
His progress has not slowed since. Earlier this month Eden became the youngest player to represent Liverpool in the UEFA Youth League when he started against Atletico Madrid, and he capped an already eventful year by captaining England’s U15s towards the end of 2025.
Fast-tracked, but carefully
Liverpool have clearly taken note. Eden trained with the club’s U21s during pre season at the AXA Training Centre, with Andoni Iraola among those keeping an eye on proceedings, and he was not the only teenager involved; fellow 15 year old Josh Abe also spent time with the U21 group over the same period. For now though, Eden is expected to remain primarily an U18 player this season, with Liverpool showing no obvious urge to rush a 15 year old into senior football before he is ready for it.
Our take
It’s easy to get carried away with academy prospects, especially ones stacking up records at this rate, but the more significant detail here might be Liverpool’s evident determination to lock Eden into a long-term pathway rather than leave anything to chance. Clubs across Europe watch these age groups closely, and a player breaking club and international records at 15 does not stay under the radar for long.
The Steven Gerrard comparisons that have inevitably followed him are probably best set aside for now. They generate headlines, but they also load unfair expectation onto a teenager who has not yet played a single senior minute. What matters far more is that Eden keeps developing in the right environment, with Iraola’s arrival offering exactly the kind of fresh opportunity that can accelerate a promising academy career without forcing it.
With Liverpool sixth in the Premier League after five games and already up and running in the Champions League following a 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid, the first team picture remains the priority. But securing Eden’s long-term future now, while the interest is still manageable, looks like sensible business from a club that has learned the value of protecting its best young talent before someone else comes calling.