Liverpool U23 boss: No fanfare for England hero Brewster's return
Striking hotshot Rhian Brewster won't be given a hero's welcome at Liverpool, despite scoring back-to-back hat-tricks for his country en route to the Under-17 World Cup final in India.
The Young Lions will face Spain in Saturday's showpiece, with the teenagers garnering plenty of attention in their homeland through victories against the likes of Chile, Mexico, and Brazil.
Brewster's return to Merseyside could be a jolt back to reality, as the Reds' Under-23 manager Neil Critchley expects him to knuckle down and not get carried away by the media frenzy.
"As soon as he scored the goals, I thought: 'Oh no, here we go.' Not in a bad way," Critchley told ESPN FC's Glenn Price. "Look, it's fantastic and if Rhian goes to play in our first team then he'll have to get used to being in the spotlight and being in the media. Maybe being exposed to it now isn't a bad thing. It gives him good practice for the future hopefully.
"But he's not achieved anything yet. He's having a great time at the moment and we're delighted for him, but we want him to play in our first team and be someone who is playing week in, week out."
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(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Brewster and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden have been the standout players for England at the tournament. Jadon Sancho was recalled by Borussia Dortmund after scoring three goals in the opening three matches, and Ryan Sessegnon, Rekeem Harper, Joel Latibeaudiere, and Angel Gomes have all shown their glittering potential in India.
Critchley knows the importance of keeping Brewster grounded as he continues his bid to win senior minutes in Jurgen Klopp's stacked frontline. The youth-team gaffer hopes this approach will pay off, accompanied by more invaluable support from his parents.
"He comes from a good background. I think that just helps him realise that yes, he's been doing well, but he hasn't achieved anything in the moment," Critchley continued.
"He won't be coming back here and we'll be giving him an open-top bus parade or something. It will just be straight back to work and keep carrying on with the things we were talking to him about before he went away. It's a quick pat on the back and let's carry on."
Brewster was denied a role in the first team's pre-season preparations for the 2017-18 term after breaking a bone is his foot. However, his evident development at the Under-17 World Cup - Critchley notes how he's followed instructions to gamble by making more runs to the six-yard box - may be rewarded with another chance sooner than anticipated.