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Jinking past the defender with a sharp shimmy from the left-hand side of the 18-yard box, he dropped his shoulder for added trickery – a blur of yellow tore towards the West Ham United goal. Intent on rattling the back of the net, the desire was clear to see in the way the mystery marksman marched, imposingly, closer to the six-yard box, his mind firmly set on dispatching the ball with venom.
Despite the best efforts of his marker, who tried in vain to stay in touch with his fast-paced movements and intelligent step-overs, there was to be little arresting the inevitably clinical shot as it bulleted into the back of the net.
Reeling away in celebration, the Liverpool no.9 had made a terrific impression on his U18 Premier League debut, and although the Reds ultimately lost the match 3-2 to the Hammers, it was clear that the powers-that-be probably celebrated secretly at having watched such a wonderfully talented youngster strut his stuff. No doubt, the goal-scorer himself, 16-year-old Toni Gomes won’t have been too unhappy with how he played that day either.
Indeed, he’s not relented much since then. In fact, he was up and scoring again exactly a week later as he knocked two goals past Derby County, Liverpool this time coming out on top in an entertaining five-goal match-up. Now, Gomes has become a key figure in manager Neil Critchley’s team and is really looking like the real deal.
Still some way from breaking into the senior first-team on a regular basis, fans of the five-time Champions League winners would be forgiven for getting excited about how world-class this young performer could be in just a few short years time. Sure, the truth is that he’s raw, tenacious and still underdeveloped, but he has all the necessary ingredients to become an Anfield superstar in the next year or two, make no mistake.
Background
Gomes is a native of Portugal and he’s developing at a time when one of the best players in world football, Cristiano Ronaldo, happens to come from the same country. Although any comparisons between the two aside from that would be incredibly forced, the excitement is there that he could go on to become a show-stopper in his own right.
Already this year, he’s played a key role in A Seleccao das Quinas and their performance in the U17 Algarve Tournament. Although he failed to do much of note on the field, it would be grossly unfair to judge any individuals based on their performances there.
Not 17 years old until later this year, one thing he certainly has on his side is time. With the EPL season for his age group kicking off in August, the precocious striker should be given plenty of opportunities between now and 2016 to really showcase the best of his ability.
Having been promoted to Neil Critchley’s squad late last season, he was a bit of a mystery to even the most die-hard of Liverpudlians. Admittedly, the Kirkby Academy has seen more than its fair share of talented performers come through the ranks, but he’s quickly making himself noticed for the right reasons.
The important element to remember is that Gomes has been deemed good enough to represent his country at a young age, he’s exhibited enormous potential, now all he needs is for his coaches, managers and mentors to persist in showing the right amount of patience, because one of the worst courses of action would be to rush him too quickly.
Having started out with the U-16 side under the guidance and tutelage of Pepijn Lijnders (who has since gone on to become first-team development coach at the club), Gomes was quickly promoted to the U-18s side after a number of impressive displays – but the real litmus test was yet to come when attempting to mix it with players who were expected to be stronger and, at least marginally, more experienced than him.
As his ascension through the ranks has shown, however, he hasn’t had any trouble fitting in and he’s even had the opportunity to train with the first-team squad already in recent months, alongside fellow young guns Trent Alexander-Arnold and England youth international Yan Dhanda.
Clearly then, he’s being prepped for yet another step up.
When will Gomes step up to the first team?
Having already been initiated into the Reds’ first-team circle, the signs look good for an eventual appearance at some point down the line. Again, caution will need to be heeded by all involved, but if he continues to make gradual improvements, works hard and enjoys his football, Gomes could very well sneak into a few cup games before snatching a beneficial loan spell somewhere testing, but ultimately character-building.
As reported by Goal, Critchley believes that his conviction and energy are two of his best traits.
“Yeah, Toni he gives everything every time he plays, he leaves nothing out on the pitch, he gives you his all. He's such a likeable boy. You're just willing him to do well because of the type of character that he is.”
A precise time for his involvement in Brendan Rodgers’ plans remains very much up in the air, but the signs certainly point to a future where he can get to play alongside the likes of Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturridge and Iago Aspas. The proud Merseyside club have a really strong youth development set-up and Gomes is certainly in one of the best places he could be right now, particularly with the sort of natural ability and wonder kid talent he already possesses in spades.
What role could he fulfil at Anfield?
Recently, the 16-year-old forward featured in a couple of matches in the Republic of Ireland as the youngsters were given an opportunity to gain some precious match minutes ahead of the busy season, and Gomes really caught the eye with a number of composed performances.
Playing with an expertise far beyond his years, he was arguably their liveliest player on the pitch in both matches against Cork City and Galway United. Indeed, in the opening pre-season clash, he scored after being set up wonderfully by new-boy and fellow rising star Bobby Adekanye as they ran out convincing 2-0 winners.
In the following encounter, he confirmed this reporter’s hopes about his ability with some very intelligent play.
At one point in the match, he found himself through on goal after picking up a wonderful position, in space, a few feet inside the right-hand flank after beating the offside trap. With lightning-quick speed, he reached the goal, but he was cut down by a clean tackle from a covering defender before he could get his shot away. In that snapshot, we saw a raw player, but one who could certainly become a deadly finisher given the right experience.
Capable of holding the ball up with physicality, allowing his teammates to enter the fray he also portrayed a really intelligent side to his game. Possessing intuitive movement, energy and a never-say-die attitude, he certainly didn’t look like a naïve boy caught in the headlights of a big occasion – and that’s something that will stand him in good stead.
This could really be his breakout year as he gets to grips with his team-mates, builds some chemistry and scores more goals, and it’s really easy to imagine him leading the line for Liverpool in a few years. But for now let’s just hope he avoids injury, keeps a level head and continues to dazzle defenders.
