Stefan Bajcetic lauded by Steven Gerrard as youngster creates history for Liverpool in Champions League

Stefan Bajcetic is showing “maturity beyond his years” as he created history for Liverpool by becoming the youngest player to start in a Champions League game for the club.

That’s according to Steven Gerrard, who has piled praise on the 18-year-old after he was handed a start in Liverpool’s midfield by Jurgen Klopp for the visit of Real Madrid in the last-16 first leg.

Since emerging from the Reds’ academy into the first team around the turn of the year, Bajcetic has hardly put a foot wrong – especially impressive given the club’s difficult start to 2023.

“He’s doing very well both sides of the game,” Gerrard told BT Sport.

“He’s shown aggression, he’s covering the ground very well. I like midfielders who play with the eyebrows up, he’s always looking to pass forward, he’s always looking to be positive. He can play the last pass.

“And his maturity is beyond his years, so far. Fair play to him, he’s took his chance.”

Bajcetic – who is keeping out the likes of Naby Keita and James Milner in midfield – was recently hailed by Mohamed Salah as being Liverpool’s best player since breaking into Klopp’s first XI.

“For the mainstay, one of the biggest players in the team, to be saying that, that must instil huge confidence in this young player,” said Rio Ferdinand, who was also on BT Sport duty.

“He looks a real talent. He’s comfortable taking the ball in different areas. To come in at Anfield and play for Liverpool takes a certain type of character and player to do that, and he doesn’t look afraid of the big stage at all.”

Fellow pundit Michael Owen said for Klopp to play him in Liverpool’s “biggest game of the season” is the “ultimate compliment”.

He added: “Bear in mind, this is an area that everyone thinks is going to be revamped, let’s say, in the summer. It’s his opportunity now to stake a claim and to make sure, if someone comes into this club, it’s not going to be him dropping out.”

Peter Crouch said: “It’s easy to forget that [his age]. Eighteen years of age, he’s so, so young. To play in a game of this kind of magnitude, it just shows the manager trusts him.”