The 18-year-old joined the Reds from Sunderland as an U15 player and penned his first professional deal at the club last season.An attacking midfielder with an impressive strike on goal, McConnell broke into the U18s squad as a 16-year-old last year.This term, he has stepped up into higher age groups, playing the full match in the Papa Johns Trophy against Rochdale for the U21s and featuring in all three of the UEFA Youth League group-stage victories over Napoli, Ajax and Rangers for the U19s.He remains a regular member of Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s U18s squad and has now committed his long-term future to the club.