LIVERPOOL have included Irish youngster Conor Masterson in their squad for the Champions League.
The Reds booked their place in the group stages after a 6-3 aggregate win over Hoffenheim.
They return to Europe’s premier club competition after a two-year absence and will face Sevilla, Spartak Moscow and Maribor.
Masterson, who turns 19 this week, will be in with a chance of tasting European football after making the panel.
He has been included on the club's B List for players who are born on or after January 1, 1996 and who have been eligible to play for the club for an uninterrupted period of two years.
Masterson is clearly rated by manager Jurgen Klopp, but not many people had heard of the youngster before this week, so here’s all you need to know about the Irish defender.
Masterson in action for Ireland against England at the 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championships in Bulgaria (Image: inpho.ie)Masterson was born in Dublin on September 8, 1998
He played with Dublin club Lucan United before securing a move to the team he supported as a boy
Masterson was spotted at the Kennedy Cup, an Irish schoolboys tournament, playing for a Dublin & District Schoolboys League select team in 2012
He reportedly turned down interest from Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea before joining the Reds
Despite signing for Liverpool at 13 in a reported €1million deal, he didn’t move to the club until after his 16th birthday
The youngster has 10 caps for Ireland under-17s, making his debut against Austria in 2014 and captaining the side against Gibraltar and Scotland as they qualified for the 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championship finals
After making his Ireland under-19 debut against Ukraine in October 2015, Masterson played in all 10 games for the under-19s in the 2016-17 season
In March 2015, Masterson was named Under-16 International Player of the Year by the Football Association of Ireland
#LFC youngster Conor Masterson named U16 International Player of the Year by the Irish FA: http://t.co/vLTSgvcrDa pic.twitter.com/sMnfBPGBMc
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 23, 2015
Despite being called into Liverpool’s European squad, Masterson is yet to make a first team appearance for the Reds
Masterson was an unused substitute as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Exeter in the third round of the FA Cup in January 2016
In February 2017, the Irishman joined the first team for a mid-season training camp in Spain, another sign that manager Jurgen Klopp considers him an exciting prospect for the Reds
Masterson captained Liverpool’s under-18 side during the 2016/17 season, before being promoted to the under-23 set-up this term
Described as a ball-playing centre-back, the Liverpool Echo said of Masterson: “He's got an excellent pass on him and is perfectly capable of sending a good diagonal ball to the wings from the edge of his box. He can also step out well with the ball at his feet.”
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