ZIMBABWE football fans have pleaded with Liverpool wonder boy Trey Nyoni to choose the Warriors ahead of England in his international career after the teenager played his first professional match in their 3-0 win over Southampton in the FA Cup on Wednesday night.
Nyoni, who was born and bred in England, traces his roots to Gwanda where his father comes from, but is now based in the United Kingdom.
Zimbabwean football fans took to social media to beg Nyoni to play for the Warriors after his cameo for Liverpool on Wednesday.
The 16-year-old etched a piece of history, playing his debut and becoming the youngest player to feature for the Reds in the FA Cup.
With the win, Liverpool proceeded to the quarter-finals of the competition and the Warriors prospect was introduced in the 77th minute replacing Harvey Elliot.
After the match, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for the starlet, who played with amazing composure.
Klopp spoke glowingly of double scorer Jayden Dans and Lewis Koumas and remarked that Liverpool fans should not forget about Nyoni.
“What a player he is! We don’t take these things for granted, it was super difficult tonight, so we deserved to go through. Obviously, it was a top performance from a specific moment on, it was top, top, top, I loved it a lot. We should not forget that Trey came on as well — what a player he is! Oh my God,” Klopp told ITV.
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In the post-match interview after the Southampton drubbing, Klopp said: “With Trey, you can see there is absolutely no body ... I don’t know what his weight is honestly, but when he is on the ball, he is very mature.”
Nyoni is still eligible to play for the Warriors, although he has played for England juniors before.
His father, Mjumbeki, is a Zimbabwean and was also a footballer, who played for Gwanda Ramblers as a midfielder in the mid-1980s alongside former Highlanders’ striker and club treasurer Jerry Sibanda, now chairman of Bulawayo City Football Club.
Mjumbeki, a teacher by profession, is said to have left the country for the UK at the turn of the century and Trey was born in that country in 2007.
Nyoni, a product of Leicester juniors, joined the Liverpool academy in September 2023 before Klopp promoted him to the senior team.
A review of the Wednesday night game by Liverpool.com read: “It wasn’t by any means the perfect display, but then Liverpool’s youngsters have time on their hands. To be beating one of the Championship’s best sides like that with only a few first-team regulars in the side is spectacular. Danns and Koumas will take all the headlines, but it was another superb display from the likes of Bobby Clark, James McConnell, Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah and Harvey Elliott, and a special mention must also go to Trey Nyoni after making his debut from the bench. What a week it’s been for the academy.”
A host of Liverpool senior players are nursing injuries.
Nyoni was part of the Liverpool squad that won the Carabao Cup at weekend after beating Chelsea at Wembley.
He was an unused substitute in that match and has lifted his first senior trophy.
