ReactionHarvey Elliott: A win and a performance - exactly what we wanted

The Reds beat Southampton 3-1 at Anfield in their last fixture for nearly six weeks on Saturday afternoon, with Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez (two) getting the goals that secured a fourth successive win in all competitions.

Elliott provided a fine assist for Nunez’s first strike and has featured in all 22 of his club’s matches so far this season, with 14 of those appearances being starts.

Liverpoolfc.com spoke with the teenager post-match at Anfield - read the interview in full below.

• Want to watch this video? Subscribe to LFCTV GO now and get a month free by using the code GOFREE22

On the victory and it being a strong team performance…

Yeah, definitely. I think it’s a performance that we wanted to leave out on the pitch and going into the World Cup with three points is what we intended to do. The lads applied that today and played some unbelievable football at times and thankfully came away with the three points. Going into the World Cup with a win is always good.

On the importance of fighting back after Southampton drew level…

Definitely. [We tried] not to drop our heads, we had the crowd behind us, which is always an important thing and I think coming here and obviously playing at Anfield, we always know that we’re going to have that. It’s just down to our qualities really, to go out and not drop our heads, just to keep going. We always know we can score goals, it’s just how we can create and make sure we convert them. The boys did that unbelievably today, the goalscorers, and just the way we played, the press, [we] got in behind them… it was unselfish at times, just to find our mate to score a goal when he’s in a better position. As I said, the boys showed great fight, we didn’t drop our heads and kept going to the end.

On his own performance…

I thought I did OK. This is just what I’m in the team to do - score and create goals - and some aspects of my game I still need to work hard on over the World Cup and make sure that when I come back I am applying them in training and in the games again. It’s something for me to reflect on over the World Cup and to make sure I come back and start the season again when we resume and make sure I am still flying. But as I said, this is what I am in the team to do, score and create, and thankfully Darwin could score today.

On playing with Nunez…

You can see his confidence now within the team and just in his football himself. He’s always one to work as hard as he possibly can for the team and be in around everywhere and making sure he is a hassle for defenders and scoring goals, which is his speciality. To have him in the team as well as Bobby and Mo creating and providing and scoring - to have those three up front, it’s always good. He’s off and running now, you can see the confidence within himself and hopefully he can take it into the World Cup and resume it after.

On Alisson Becker’s crucial second-half saves…

I think he’s going to have to shave his beard every game now! So many times he has kept us in the game and it’s nothing new from Alisson, to be honest. He’s an unbelievable ’keeper as well as an unbelievable human being, so we’re all very proud of him. For us he’s the best goalkeeper in the world and to be playing alongside him and know you have that reassurance with him at the back in the goal is always a nice feeling - but sometimes we just need to make sure we’re there to help him out as well! But at the end of the day he’s, as I said, the best ’keeper in the world and sometimes that’s what you have to do. I wish him all the best in the World Cup.

On being a regular fixture in the starting XI in the first part of the season…

Yeah, absolutely [this is what I dreamed of] but at the same time we need to understand that I’m still young and am going to be rotated a lot as well. There is always going to be that rotation. But I just need to make sure that when I am in the team or coming off the bench I am performing and doing the best I can for the team, just making sure I am applying myself in training to show the gaffer that I am trusted and that I can play. As I said, it’s always a great feeling putting on the shirt, going out and playing, walking out to You’ll Never Walk Alone, and hopefully there’s many more feelings for myself in the future. But I’m just really enjoying my football now and getting the wins along the way is always a bonus. I’m just here to help the team and do what I can when I’m trusted.