Academy'Making my Liverpool debut was an amazing moment for me'
Melkamu Frauendorf is still on cloud nine after making an unexpected senior Liverpool debut against Shrewsbury Town in the Emirates FA Cup.
Three days before his 18th birthday, the Germany youth international was summoned from the bench by Jürgen Klopp and came on to replace fellow Academy talent Kaide Gordon in the 80th minute.
Signed from Hoffenheim in August 2020, Frauendorf has been a model of consistency for the U18s so far this season, netting nine goals in all competitions.
The attacking midfielder had not even made his Premier League 2 debut at U23 level before featuring in the win over Shrewsbury at Anfield.
And he reflects on that experience with a huge sense of pride.
"It was an amazing day," Frauendorf said on LFCTV's The Academy. "I just came back from the Christmas break and I would never have expected that I would go with the first team, travel with them, go to the hotel and spend some time with them and just see how the first team prepares for a game.
"I learned a lot and before I came on I was a bit nervous, to be fair, and then Klopp talked with me and told me what he wants to see from me.
"But as soon as I was on the pitch, I wasn't nervous anymore, I just enjoyed it and had fun. It was an amazing experience for me."
Frauendorf shared the occasion with his teammates and housemates; James Balagizi and Isaac Mabaya were also on the bench, while Gordon started the tie.
And, after Liverpool fell behind in the 27th minute, it was the latter who began the comeback with a calmly finished equaliser, before Gordon made way for Frauendorf late on.
"Everyone was just jumping, we were happy [for Kaide] and celebrating, it was nice," said Frauendorf.
"I had lots of messages after the game, everyone was sending me congratulations, there were lots of calls as well, so it was a long night. It took a week before I could reply to everyone!
"I made my debut for the U23s the next day and it was just an amazing week for me."
The Academy: Frauendorf's magical Anfield moment
That first experience of life at senior level has only whetted Frauendorf's appetite to earn further opportunities, too.
"It would be amazing," he said. "I will just keep working and I hope it will happen.
"When you play with the first team, that just motivates you more to work hard, to try to train with them more often and try to stay with them. I hope I will get another chance to play with the first team."
Mirroring the growing maturity he is showing on the field, Frauendorf acknowledged the importance of always remaining humble and working to the best of his abilities.
He finished: "It's really important in games that you try your best because you never know who is watching.
"Maybe they might see you and they want you to come to their team, which is why it's so important to work hard in every game."