"I did what was asked of me" - 20-year-old Liverpool player 'disappointed' with omission from pre-season

Liverpool academy graduate Jake Cain has admitted he was disappointed after being left out of the Reds’ pre-season squad, claiming he had done everything that was asked of him.

Cain, 20, was loaned out to League Two side Newport County for the 2021-22 season. The midfielder featured in 28 games for Newport across all competitions, recording two assists.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp called up 12 academy players for the team’s pre-season tour of the Far East, but Cain, despite enjoying a fruitful loan spell, did not get picked.

Speaking to Goal, Cain opened up about the snub, admitting that he was disappointed not to be able to show his quality to the first-team coaches. He said:

“I can’t lie, I was disappointed. I thought I had a good loan, I did what was asked of me, and I thought I could come back and show the first team what I can do.

“They’re the best team in Europe, so I know it’s going to be very difficult to push for a place in the team, but I thought I might have been able to go on the tour, show what I can do and see what the first-team coaches said. So, yeah, it was disappointing.”

The central midfielder, who made his Liverpool senior team debut in the FA Cup in the 2019-20 campaign, is on the lookout for 'men’s football'. He is currently with Liverpool’s U21s, but a loan spell is what he currently desires. He added:

“I’m ready for another challenge. I need to go on loan again, I need men’s football, and I feel now that I’ll be ready to hit the ground running when the opportunity comes. I know that I’m ready.”

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Jake Cain wants to follow in Liverpool star James Milner’s footsteps

James Milner is widely hailed as one of the most industrious and versatile players in the Premier League. From putting in a solid shift as a full-back to suffocating the opposition as a midfielder, the Englishman has done it all.

Cain, who is banking on his versatility to become an asset to his future coaches, seemingly idolizes Milner and has set his sights on becoming the next him. When asked to open up about his positional preference, Cain told Goal:

“I’ll be a James Milner! [laughs]. I can probably play anywhere except centre-half, to be honest.

“I think my best position is as a No.10, playing behind the striker, getting creative, playing through balls. I think my weight of pass is good, I can get a shot off, I can score goals, I’m a set-piece taker.”

He concluded by saying:

“But I like to think I’ve got a good engine as well, if I need to be a box-to-box midfielder. I can get up and down, I can press, attack, defend. I feel I’ve got a lot in my locker. The more versatile you are, the more opportunities you can get. Managers see that as an asset, and that’s what you want.”