Wright's Youth League hat-tricks put Liverpool's £200k striker in Iraola's first-team thinking

Will Wright’s back-to-back hat-tricks in the UEFA Youth League have thrust the 18-year-old Liverpool forward into first-team conversations at Anfield, with head coach Andoni Iraola beginning to rotate his attacking options in the Champions League group stage.

Wright, who joined Liverpool from Salford City in a £200,000 deal last summer after choosing the club over Arsenal, has scored 13 goals across all competitions at academy level this season. His latest treble came in a 5-3 victory over Fenerbahce at Pendik Stadium, leaving him joint top scorer in the Youth League alongside Stuttgart’s Enis Redzepi on six goals.

Under-21s boss Rob Page was quick to credit the teenager’s composure amid the rapid rise. “He’s got a great support around him,” Page said. “His family are very supportive. Alex [Inglethorpe, Academy director] is there to lean on, he’s got myself and Jay [Spearing], good influences. Within a week of signing for Liverpool, he passed his driving test and played at Anfield. He never got carried away.”

Page added: “What did I say to him at full-time? It was just a bit of a joke — another hat-trick, another match ball. It’s great to see young players thrive like these at the minute.”

The Youth League has historically served as a meaningful stepping stone for Liverpool’s senior talent. Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Ben Doak, Curtis Jones and Trent Alexander-Arnold all used the competition as part of their path to the first team, and Wright is now the standout name in the latest generation looking to follow that route.

Sporting director Julian Ward was present in Istanbul to watch the U21s’ victory, alongside head of loan management Gary Probert and individual development coach Luiz Fernando Iubel, who acts as the key link between academy and senior level. Wright’s performance dominated post-match discussion among the trio.

With Iraola rotating his squad in the Champions League — Alexander Isak has started just one of four group-stage matches — the possibility of Wright being elevated to the first-team squad has been raised internally. Wright himself has spoken publicly about his desire for senior involvement, citing Isak and Hugo Ekitike as players he is studying closely.