AcademyU21s reaction: 'Will Wright is a proper striker - he deserves his rewards'
Rob Page praised the efforts of Will Wright after marking a strong performance leading the line with a goal in Liverpool U21s' 4-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
The No.9's strike late in the second half of the home win in Premier League 2 on Sunday was accompanied by a Kieran Morrison double – taking his tally to 14 for the season – and an effort from Prince Cisse on his debut at U21s level.
Wright earned recognition after finishing smartly to net the Reds' third of the contest and put them 3-2 ahead in the 86th minute.
"Will is a proper striker," U21s head coach Page told Liverpoolfc.com. "He loves a battle and he is all for the battle. He grinds the opposition defenders down.
"For his goal, I thought it was a great first touch and a great finish. I'm really pleased for him because of all the work and effort he puts in. He deserves his rewards."
Read on as Page reflects on his team's unbeaten run in 2026, the form of Morrison and more.
On an excellent win for his side…
Very good. We knew we were going to be facing a good Tottenham team and they have got some good footballers, so it was important we set our stamp on the game early on with the intensity that we have had certainly since the New Year. We seem to have an identity where we can be physical with teams and then when the game settles then we can play as well. There are still things we can work on. But when you are not quite 100 per cent happy with the performance after scoring four goals and winning, it's a good sign.
On the mature display of Kyle Kelly in midfield…
Kyle has come into his own recently. I'd say with the ball, that's probably not as good a performance as he's had before – he will tell you that himself – but without the ball, wow! He is so good in the middle of the park. He is a manager's dream because he sees the play, breaks it up and then gives it to the lads who then get us up the pitch. I thought Kyle, Trey [Nyoni], Tommy [Pilling] and Michael [Laffey], when he came on, were excellent for us.
On a debut goal for Cisse after a tough start…
Prince wasn't a centre-half before this season. It's all part of his learning. We exposed him to U21s football and he's playing against better-quality opposition. He will be all the better for playing this game. It was pleasing to see the level he was at and to get the goal on his debut was the icing on the cake for him.
On Morrison playing at a very high level…
Kieran is playing really well and he took his goals well. For me, the right-foot goal was the pick of the bunch because I see him do it in training. That first two yards he is quite explosive and then he gets decent power with his so-called weaker foot. I'm really pleased with Kieran. He is in a really good place and long may that continue.