Tom Hill on LFC debut: 'It meant everything but there's a long way to go'
For all of Liverpool's youngsters making their first-team debut at Villa Park last week, it was a dream come true.
Take Tom Hill, for example: a Formby native who has been at the club since pre-Academy level at the age of five.
A first-year scholar with the U18s, Hill has already made his U23s bow, netted in the UEFA Youth League and struck seven goals so far this season.
An attacking midfielder whose timely runs into the box have caught the eye, Hill only turned 17 in October. He has also shown his versatility this term by playing at right-back and as a central striker.
Neil Critchley handed Hill a starting berth on the left side of the attack during the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa.
Reflecting on his debut, Hill told Liverpoolfc.com: "It meant everything. It’s everything I have been working hard for but I didn’t expect it to happen.
"I was proud, my family were proud and it was just an amazing experience. I saw them after the game and it was the perfect Christmas present.
"I don’t think the 5-0 scoreline was the true reflection of the game, we worked hard and I thought we deserved more from it.”
Hill then came off the bench to score an important late strike during Friday’s thrilling 3-2 win for the U23s over Paris Saint-Germain in the Premier League International Cup.
Yasser Larouci netted a 90th-minute winner as the young Reds ended 2019 in fine style.
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"It was a great team performance, the way we stuck at it and then at the end as we always do score late goals,” Hill added.
"Critch just told me to make runs forward and do what I usually do and try my best to get a goal and luckily I did, so it was nice to come on and make a difference.
"Tony [Gallacher] did really well down the left to spot me and just laid it back to me, and luckily it went in.
"I thought we deserved to win. The boys worked hard all game chasing them down against a good PSG team.”
Despite enjoying some great moments in 2019-20, level-headed Hill is not getting carried away and knows a lot of hard work lies ahead if he is to achieve a second first-team appearance in the future.
He said: "There has been a lot of ups, mostly positives, but I know I’ve got to work on the negatives and work at what I need to get better at, and then hopefully get better in the future."