'There could be an opportunity in the first team' says Neil Mellor about Liverpool teenage star Rhian Brewster

Former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor has stressed that he would not be surprised if Jurgen Klopp hands teenage striker Rhian Brewster his first-team debut before the end of the season.

The 17-year-old is currently on international duty with England at the 2017 Fifa Under-17 World Cup in India. His hat-tricks against the USA in the quarter-final and Brazil in the last four has helped the Young Lions seal a berth in the final of the tournament.

Brewster's impressive display in the Fifa Under-17 World Cup has seen him catch the attention of England's elite clubs. The Merseyside club will hand him a "big-money deal" once he turns 18 next April.

He has been a regular for Liverpool Under-23s, since making his debut at the age of 16 in January 2017. Brewster is the first choice striker for the Reds Under-23s, which, according to Mellor, is a good sign of progress.

"Rhian Brewster has been one of the stars of the tournament for England Under-17s and he's now just 90 minutes away from glory if they can beat Spain," Mellor told the Liverpool Echo.

"I was down at the Academy during the week and everyone was made up that Brewster had scored. It's was great to see so many people willing him to do well. He's a player who has developed enormously over the past 12 months to the point where he's the main striker for the Under-23s at just 17.

"Rhian is a natural finisher whose movement gets him into the right positions. He goes in where it hurts and that's where you get your rewards.

"I've been absolutely delighted that he's been so successful in this tournament, I hope he can get a confidence boost from the final and can come back and show the right attitude and his quality for the Under-23s and who knows if he maintains his progression there could be an opportunity in the first team at the end of it."