Displacing the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez is no mean feat, and he has plenty of competition among the youth ranks too. It may be true that Penn’s positive feedback to the club played a role in the decision to extend Williams’ deal and place that faith in him. He’s 19 years old and has never been near the Liverpool first team, yet the Reds have placed their faith in Rhys Williams with a new long-term deal. Such was the progress he made in the opening five months of the season, Liverpool have allowed the teenager to spend the remainder of the campaign with James Shan’s side. The central defender was out on loan last season and made 26 appearances for Kidderminster Harriers of the National League North. The fact that the youngster is playing well enough to play nearly every game and for both teams to want to extend his loan is encouraging news. Rhys Williams has had his loan spell at Kidderminster Harriers extended. Williams signed his first professional contract with the Reds last February, amid an excellent campaign that saw him emerge as a leader for Barry Lewtas’ under-18s. Dejan Lovren has left for Zenit St Petersburg and there has been little evidence so far to say that he will definitely be replaced. Could we have another future star in the academy? On the face of it, you’d be forgiven for wondering why the club has bothered. Liverpool know that instilling confidence in a player with ability is the quickest way to turn them from prospect to star. Ki-Jana Hoever, Sepp van den Berg and Billy Koumetio are among the rivals who Williams must outshine in order to stake a claim for a senior spot. Either way, this new contract for Rhys Williams serves a useful purpose. He struggled the first month and made three mistakes that cost us three goals but he held his hands up for all of them and I think that was the making of him,” he told the Liverpool Echo in May. 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So why exactly have the Reds given the Englishman another long-term deal just 12 months after offering him his first professional contract? He is just 18-years-old and the National League North is an incredibly physical league – this is an ideal place for him to cut his teeth. With the injury records of Joe Gomez and Joël Matip not exactly making for pleasant reading, there is every chance a youngster may be called upon to step up in the coming season. Rhys Williams is a commanding centre-half who made his U18s debut in 2016-17 while just a schoolboy. “He played every game. And even if he doesn’t quite make it at Anfield, the new deal will push up his market value to ensure the club can make more money from any potential future sale, which helps in terms of transfer incomings. Fingers crossed we will either give him more of a shot in the U23s next season or he will be sent on a more challenging loan move, either way it is great to hear that his current spell is going well. If he keeps this up then Jürgen Klopp could have a headache on his hands as he sorts through Ki-Jana Hoever, Sepp van den Berg and Rhys Williams. After an impressive start which has seen the youngster play 23 times and score once, Rhys Williams has had his loan at Kidderminster extended until the end of the season. Sure, Kidderminster are struggling in the National League North but this is still a vital experience for the young man. Finally a Red! Enter your e-mail address below to receive a, Premier League announce plans to charge fans £15 for every game not shown on TV. “I trust the gaffer to help me develop, and I trust Liverpool because they’ve told me to come here. (Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) Williams joined the Harriers at the start of the season, taking the step after signing his first professional contract with the club last February. Meanwhile at U18 level, despite a long-term injury to Billy Koumetio, Remi Savage has stepped up admirably to fill Williams’ shoes, with Jarell Quansah earmarked as next in line. Yet, we’ve seen very little of the Preston-born youngster as he remains nowhere near the first-team. Future Stars: Can Abdi Sharif overcome serious injury to break into senior side? While I mean no disrespect to the Worcestershire-based side, it’s not exactly a placement which screams future superstar. I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious. Dig a little deeper, though, and Liverpool’s logic starts to shine through. Rhys Williams has had his loan spell at Kidderminster Harriers extended. Rhys Williams: Why has the 19-year-old been given a new five-year deal by Liverpool? He has been at the Academy since U10 level and is a regular for Liverpool's U18s and U19s in the UEFA Youth League. Neil Critchley has Sepp van den Berg, Morgan Boyes, Tom Clayton and Ki-Jana Hoever as regular options for the U23s, with the centre-back ranks well-stocked. Williams joined the Harriers at the start of the season, taking the step after signing his first professional contract with the club last February. KIDDERMINSTER Harriers have signed young defender Rhys Williams from Premier League giants Liverpool on loan until early January. And while his time in Kidderminster may not have seen him play at an especially high level, what it did do was hasten his maturing process – as attested to by one of his coaches at the time, the youngster adjusted with aplomb to the chastening experience of playing alongside bonafide men. The arrival from Van den Berg from PEC Zwolle effectively paved the way for Williams to gain experience elsewhere. (Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images). There’s been more good news as Rhys Williams has had his loan extended at Kidderminster Harriers. After making a long-awaited first-team debut for Liverpool in the 7-2 win over Lincoln in the League Cup, Rhys Williams has set his sights on a long-term role at Anfield. At 19, Rhys Williams is at an age by which most young prospects have already made their mark. Having slotted in immediately as a key player at Aggborough–scoring a goal in only his third outing and playing 23 times so far—Williams is a firm favourite with the Harriers. Rhys also stepped up to the U23s in 2018-19, making his first start at that level against Villarreal in the November of that season. RATINGS | Aston Villa 7-2 Liverpool: Seven heaven for Villa as Reds hang their heads in shame, Champions League draw: Liverpool face the unknown with Group D opponents, RATINGS | Liverpool 0-0 (P) Arsenal: Reds fall foul of Bernd Leno masterclass. “Real concerns” mount over Roberto Firmino burnout – Time to hand the No. And while the National League North is five tiers below the Premier League, it will be vital to his development. He is clearly well thought of both at the academy and at St. George’s Park. At 19, Rhys Williams is at an age by which most young prospects have already made their mark. Despite a slower start to his senior career than he might have liked, his pedigree in the youth teams paints a more promising picture. The teenager has also played for England at youth level. This January has already seen some excellent business done at Anfield. In depth statistics, Latest News and Information on Kidderminster Harriers, Worcestershire's premier football team, including match reports, previews, players, news and articles I'm not sure I know what I'm doing either. “It’s a massive step from under-23s, that’s why I’ve come,” he said. The 18-year-old also made six appearances for Liverpool’s under-23s, and joining Kidderminster for the first half of 2019/20 was provided a major test of his potential. Since joining Liverpool as an u10 player, the centre-back has consistently been at the forefront of his age group and played a major role in the FA Youth Cup success in 2019 under Barry Lewtas. View all posts by Daniel Moxon, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), name-dropped Williams alongside Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones, 'Premier League Table 2019/20' print DOWNLOAD, Roberto Firmino black and green print DOWNLOAD, We need to talk about Bobby: Why Liverpool’s one-time linchpin could now see his place under threat, New manager, new players and fresh controversy – Liverpool u23s' season so far. DANIEL MOXON explores why. He has appeared on 90Min's YouTube as well as Channel 4's Ultimate Football Fan Show, he is still coming to terms with Liverpool selling Xabi Alonso. All this came after he broke his nose in an early game against Darlington, and admitted to Liverpoolfc.com that he “headed 15 balls per half” during his loan spell. It is clear Williams has settled at Kidderminster, and it is arguably the right decision to keep him out on loan, as he described the switch as a “massive step” back in September. Well, despite his lower profile and relative inexperience for someone his age, Williams is highly-rated by the coaching staff at Kirkby and has been tipped to be one of the youngsters who could play a key role in the first team in the coming years. In August 2019, Williams was sent out on loan to non-league Kidderminster Harriers, so he likely wouldn’t have expected to … One of his fans is Reds legend John Barnes, who name-dropped Williams alongside Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones as someone who could be at the forefront of the club’s future successes once they have fully graduated into the first team. Williams, 19, was born in Preston but joined the Liverpool academy at the age of just 10, and won the FA Youth Cup last year.