Rhian Brewster: Teenage Liverpool sensation reveals why he walked out on Chelsea

Teenage academy hotshot Rhian Brewster has revealed the rationale behind his decision to leave Chelsea and sign for Liverpool. The London-born forward has gone from strength-to-strength since arriving on Merseyside in 2015, thriving for the Under-18s and scoring on his Under-23 debut in the Premier League Cup after also notching a hat-trick in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Huddersfield Town.

Brewster continued his impressive scoring run on Monday night (6 March) by grabbing a first-half brace for Mike Garrity's side during a 5-1 Premier League 2 rout of struggling Reading at Adams Park. That match also saw midfielder Marko Grujic feature for 60 minutes on his first outing for more than three months following a lingering hamstring injury.

Interviewed by Liverpool's official website before the trip to Wycombe, the versatile 16-year-old explained that it was an easy decision to head to Kirkby once it became clear that he could not envisage himself breaking into the senior set-up at Stamford Bridge.

"I was at Chelsea from the age of seven to 14 but then I told them I wanted to look at my options because I didn't see a pathway to become a first-team player there," he said.

"There were a few clubs interested but once I knew Liverpool were one of them it was an easy choice. Liverpool is a club that does give young players opportunities and it's a great feeling to play for this club."

Brewster, who looks up to both Luis Suarez and Roberto Firmino, has also caught the eye at international level after netting five goals – including another double in an 8-1 demolition of Germany – for the England Under-17s at last year's Croatia Cup. In total, he has already bagged six goals in just five appearances for the Three Lions under Steve Cooper.

Michael Beale provided a familiar face for Brewster upon his arrival at Liverpool, with the duo having previously worked together at Chelsea. While the former Under-23 boss surprisingly departed Anfield after four-and-a-half years in December 2016 in order to assist Rogerio Ceni at Brazilian giants Sao Paulo, he is still in contact with the player.

"I keep in touch with Michael and I can tell you he is enjoying it out there in Brazil," Brewster added. "He has been great with me and helped me so much and I really appreciate it. I know I can become a better player learning off the coaches at the Academy like Mike Garrity, Neil Critchley and Alex Inglethorpe. They have helped me so much with my game and always give me great advice."