Liverpool: Harvey Elliott ready to take ‘second chance’ at Anfield

Harvey Elliott says he’s ready for a “second chance”. Liverpool And is keen to enjoy his football again after a “difficult” loan spell Aston Villa.

Elliott joined Villa on a season-long loan last summer, with a clause in the contract stipulating that Unai Emery’s side were obliged to sign him for £35million if he made 10 appearances.

Villa decided at the start of the season that they did not want to trigger that option, meaning the 23-year-old played just nine games and a total of 277 minutes, with Emery describing the situation as “embarrassing for everyone involved”.

Elliott returned to Merseyside earlier than planned this summer and featured in both LiverpoolPre-season games under new manager Andoni Iraola.

Reflecting on the move to Villa, Elliott said: “I wanted to go and explore something, get out of my comfort zone and do something that I personally thought would take me back as a player.

“But unfortunately it didn’t work.”

Elliott was speaking later Liverpool beat Wrexham 1-0 in a pre-season friendly in New York.

“Now I’m here and it’s a second chance, if you want to call it that. Especially with the gaffer and the new coaching staff coming in, it’s another chance to impress them in the good books and hopefully,” he said.

“I wish Villa nothing but the best. I had a lot of love for them and they treated me very well. Unfortunately, the situation happened but it’s another learning curve.

“I’m here now and I’m trying to cement my place in the team or the squad.”

Eliot evolved Fulhammade his Premier League debut at the age of 16 before joining its academy Liverpool In 2019.

He played regularly under then-manager Jurgen Klopp but played less during the title-winning season under Arne Slott, making 18 Premier League appearances in 2024-25 before joining Villa, a move that brought challenges.

“Mentally, it was a very difficult one, it was a learning curve,” said Elliott, who helped Emery’s side win the Europa League last season.

“It was an opportunity for me to experience something new, as much as I didn’t want to do it, and I wouldn’t wish it on any other player, because it’s not nice at all.

“But I don’t have any hard feelings. I’m on the other side of it now. I was able to go through it and achieve something at the end of the season, another historic moment for the club, and it was another great situation to be a part of.”

Looking ahead, Elliott, who won player of the tournament last summer as England U21s won Euro 2025, said he was unsure about his future but would speak to Iraola after the season.

“At the moment, I’m just thinking about making sure I’m 100% physically and mentally, and trying to impress on the pitch,” he added. “I think when the time is right to ask him (Iraola), I will go and ask him.

“Ultimately, it’s up to me. As long as I’m putting in the hard work effort and desire on the field, then I think I have a chance to go and ask.

“But I’m really happy to be back. From the first day I walked through the doors to training, I had a big smile on my face.

“I’m wearing this strip and wearing this shirt again, and I just want to be free, and play as much as I can, and enjoy it, because sometimes I don’t feel like I do it enough. Playing at LiverpoolThere’s no better feeling than that.”