'I can't express how much my full Liverpool debut means'
An elated Tyler Morton struggled to articulate his emotions after making his full Liverpool debut.
The teenage Academy prospect put in an accomplished performance at the base of the midfield three as the Reds beat Preston North End 2-0 in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
Highlights: Preston 0-2 Liverpool
An impressive 45-minute display against Norwich City in the previous round earned the Wirral-born Liverpool fan - who has been at the club since the age of seven - his chance at Deepdale and he enjoyed every second of his 90-minute runout.
"It's very emotional," Morton told Liverpoolfc.com post-match.
"My whole family are here and people who have supported Liverpool for years like my mates, they were here watching me and it gets emotional.
"Clapping the fans at the end, it's just a boyhood dream and one I've dreamed of since I was born really because I've been coming to the games since I was three or four. I can't really express the feeling."
Read on for the rest of our interview with Morton…
Tyler, it was tough at times but you managed to get through to the next round, which is the main thing…
At the end of the day it's a cup and it's all about winning. If you lose you are out so it's all about the result and obviously we are Liverpool - we want to perform well in every game. We expect to win every game and we are just happy to get through to the next round.
It was your first senior start so did it take a few minutes to settle down and get yourself into the game?
Yeah, because I'm not used to first-team football and I've just come into it. Hopefully I can get more chances to prove myself. At the start of the game it's not like U23s or U18s football [because] you can't really hear yourself think. The fans are loud and it's a tough test but that's what I like, a tough test.
Yourself and several of the other youngsters managed to make a real positive impression…
It's all about making impressions on the manager. The manager gives us opportunities [and] he is one of the best managers in the world, especially for giving opportunities. He's given the likes of me, Neco [Williams], Owen [Beck], Harvey Blair, Conor [Bradley], Elijah [Dixon-Bonner], Kaide [Gordon], he has given us opportunities and that's what we need. We're going to do our best to impress.
What has the manager said to you since you've been around the first team?
He praises us a lot, he wants the best out of us and you can see he is the best manager in the world in the way he puts out young teams and still gets results.
And you could get another chance to play in the quarter-final - you've got a few weeks to keep yourself in the boss' mind and hopefully get yourself in the team again…
I just take every game in my stride really, whatever game it is, and see how it goes. If I am in his plans or if I'm not I am always going to be happy to be part of the club and that's what I'm like.