Jurgen Klopp’s first Liverpool wonderkid is now spectacular £18m flop who has scored once in 18 months

Rhian Brewster’s career has failed to reach the anticipated levels of success since he burst onto the scene as a promising young talent at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp. Brewster initially progressed through the youth system at Chelsea before joining Liverpool in 2015 for a reported fee of £250,000. This coincided with Klopp’s arrival at the club, marking the beginning of a successful era that lasted nearly a decade at Anfield.

Klopp will leave Liverpool at the conclusion of the season, having won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup during his tenure.

Brewster was one of the first talents he discovered.

Indeed, as a 15-year-old, Brewster played two games on Klopp’s first day as Liverpool boss.

According to The Athletic, Brewster played 50 minutes for Liverpool’s under-16s before coming off the bench for the under-18s and impressing Klopp with a lively 10-minute spell against Stoke City.

Despite being highly rated by Klopp, Brewster eventually failed to make the grade at Liverpool, making only four games and failing to score in that time.

A loan spell at Swansea City in the Championship in the second half of the 2019/20 season resulted in 11 goals in 22 games, contributing to his later departure from Liverpool.

Brewster left Liverpool permanently that summer, signing for Sheffield United for an initial £18 million in a deal worth up to £23.5 million, making him the Yorkshire club’s record signing.

Upon signing, Brewster stated: “There were a few teams interested, but Sheffield United is currently the best choice for me.

“I am prepared to come in and show everyone what I have. It’s a side that produces a lot of opportunities, with three at the back overlapping and receiving crosses into the box, which is my game – being in the box, creating space, and finishing with one or two touches.

“That’s what I am going to try and do, and try and score goals for Sheffield United.”

However, in 75 games for the Blades, Brewster has only five goals and has scored once in the last 18 months due to injuries that have kept him out for extended periods of time.

His only goal in the previous two seasons came last season, when the Blades were in the Championship, and it proved to be a consolation in a 3-1 loss against Stoke City in October 2022.

Brewster is still only 23 years old and has lots of time in his career to make a difference, but he is now one of several wonderkids at a major Premier League Academy who has not had the career some expected of him