Liverpool Under-21 boss Michael Beale has expressed his delight after watching Sheyi Ojo’s performance in the 3-2 win over Middlesbrough in an Under-21 Premier League Division 1 game last night and revealed he had a chat with the talent before the match.
The winger, who made his senior Liverpool debut in an FA Cup game against Exeter City in January, netted a hat-trick against Boro at Victoria Park.
While Ojo’s first goal in the 33rd minute helped Liverpool to cancel out Arnel Jakupovic’s opener, his second strike after the break enabled the Reds to take a 2-1 lead.
Although Jakupovic scored his second from the spot to make in 2-2 with 14 minutes remaining, Ojo himself converted a late penalty to help the Merseyside giants to win the thrilling encounter.
And Beale, who revealed that he had a chat with Ojo before the game, insisted that he was “glad” to see the 18-year-old find the back of the net.
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“We know he has a fantastic physical specimen”, he told LFC TV after the game.
“You want to see him running and breaking lines, you want to see him playing with his foot on the floor from the first whistle and I thought we did [see it] tonight.
“We had a nice chat today in the hotel and I thought he responded really well.
“I’m glad to see him score. He likes playing against Middlesbrough, he scored two tonight and two previously.”
Ojo, whose present contract with Liverpool runs until 2020, has thus far made three senior appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring once and providing an assist.
