Harvey Elliott’s Aston Villa move should have been the next big step in his career, but it’s become one of the strangest stories of the season.
As Liverpool prepare to face Unai Emery’s side, there is still a real sense that the 23-year-old has lost a crucial year through very little fault of his own.
With just nine appearances, one goal and 277 minutes in all competitions, it’s hard to describe this as anything other than wretched luck for a player who simply needed football.
Speaking to This is Anfield, journalist and broadcaster Sam Tighe gave a blunt assessment of Elliott’s season at Villa Park.
Tighe said: “Harvey Elliott is a victim of regrettable circumstances.”
He added: “It is not fair what has happened to him this season and the following two statements ring true with most fans I speak to: 1) Supporters are embarrassed at the mess Villa has created for him, and 2) Harvey has handled himself unbelievably well, all things considered.”
That should matter to Liverpool supporters because, whatever anyone thinks about Elliott’s long-term place at Anfield, there was never any doubt about his attitude or desire to play.
The former Fulham youngster left us after a summer in which he had been named player of the tournament at the Under-21 Euros, yet his momentum has completely stalled.
Tighe pointed to Villa’s late-window business and the clause attached to the deal as major factors, saying Elliott’s chances of getting onto the pitch have felt almost non-existent.
Asked if there is a future for the Liverpool-owned midfielder at Villa, the answer was stark: “Not while Emery stands in the dugout, no.”
Henry Winter has already called it a “sad waste of a year”, while Dougie Critchley described the move as “a complete shambles” after Elliott was left with so little league football.
That wider reaction says plenty, because this doesn’t feel like a case of a player failing to take his chance.
It feels like Elliott walked into a deal that quickly stopped making sense for everyone involved, and Liverpool must now hope there is still a route back to regular football for a player who deserves far better.
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