'Constantly chasing': 18-year-old Liverpool youngster hailed by country's media after his first-ever start
09/10/2024 02:35 AM
Lewis Koumas has quickly risen through the ranks at Liverpool and is now a full Wales international, having made his senior debut under Craig Bellamy in the 0-0 draw against Turkey last week.
The 18-year-old went one step further in the UEFA Nations League clash against Montenegro as he earned his first start for his country.
Wales got an important 2-1 win courtesy of early goals from Harry Wilson and Kieffer Moore, as Koumas started in attack alongside the pair.
And the 18-year-old did his reputation no harm with a fighting display as he earned positive reviews from the local media.
Liverpool youngster Lewis Koumas praised for full Wales debut
Starting on the left flank in a 3-4-3, Koumas put in the hard yards for his team in the first half as he was withdrawn at the interval.
Y Clwb Pel-Droed rated his performance five out of ten, saying: “A first start for the youngster following on from his cameo on Friday night.
“He worked hard off the ball constantly chasing down opposition defenders but didn't have many opportunities to show his quality on the ball.”
Wales Online were a bit kinder in their assessment of Koumas, giving him a rating of six out of ten for his ‘promising’ showing.
“Showed some promising flashes and looked after possession well enough. A decent first start, but certainly more to come. Subbed.”
The Liverpool loanee had 12 touches of the ball and boasted a pass completion rate of 100% (6/6 passes completed) as he earned himself a Sofascore rating of 6.8.
While that doesn’t really set the world alight, it is worth noting that only Wilson (8.8), Ben Davies (8) and Joe Rodon (7) earned better ratings for Wales, which is an indication that he did a lot of things right on his full debut.
Koumas looks in superb touch on loan at Stoke City
The youngster sealed a loan move to Championship side Stoke City in the summer transfer window and has raced off the blocks at his new club.
Koumas has already notched up two goals and an assist in five appearances across all competitions and looks set to play a key role for the Potters this season.
Jurgen Klopp described Koumas as an ‘aggressive’ front-line player and the youngster made one appearance for Liverpool last season, scoring in the 3-0 win against Southampton in the FA Cup.
With a long season ahead of him in the Championship, the 18-year-old is at the top of his game and could enhance his reputation with a string of eye-catching displays at the bet365 Stadium.
