Dominic Solanke hails Liverpool for giving youth a chance after completing move from Chelsea

Former Chelsea youth striker Dominic Solanke has hailed Liverpool for giving opportunities to youth players unlike the Blues, where he has struggled for first-team opportunities. The 19-year-old completed a move to Anfield and became the Reds' second summer signing after the arrival of Mohamed Salah.

The Reds first announced that they had agreed to terms with Solanke in late May, with the player originally expected to complete that switch to Merseyside after his Stamford Bridge contract officially expired on 1 July. His compensation will be decided by a tribunal later in the summer, as is the case when a player under 24 leaves the club on a bosman without an agreement between the parties.

He was a key member of Chelsea's successful youth sides and proved his worth by scoring seven goals in 25 games during a season-long loan stint with Eredivisie outfit Vitesse Arnhem in 2015-16. His only senior appearance for the reigning English champions came under Jose Mourinho in October 2014, in a 6-0 Champions League thrashing of NK Maribor.

"Every time I see Liverpool, there's such a family nature, there're a lot of young players doing well at the club, so I think it will be a good place for me to develop my career," said the striker, as quoted by the Mirror, following the completion of his transfer.

"As a young player, you always want to see the club you're at pushing young players through. I'm quite good friends with Joe Gomez - I've known him since we were young - and obviously Ovie [Ejaria] and Sheyi [Ojo] were with us at the Under-20 World Cup. We spoke a bit when we were away, so I'm looking forward to enjoying it with them.

"As a young player you just want to reach your full potential, so to have good players around you and a good manager to help will be really good. I just want to make an impact. Hopefully when I get my opportunity I can take it and help the team."