Forgotten Liverpool man to profit from perfect storm at Anfield
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Having been farmed out to the Championship and latterly the Hawthorns for the entirety of 2014/15, Andre Wisdom could find himself back in the Liverpool starting line up quicker than he’d have anticipated after signing a new deal.
Liverpool’s own website doesn’t specify the exact length of the contract, but its description of ‘long term’ indicates the club are very happy with his development away from Anfield.
Suddenly a Reds career that had begun to look questionable for the 22-year-old, may now be reinvigorated with immediate effect next season thanks to some very fertile conditions on Merseyside.
The England U21 international, who has made 24 Premier League appearances for West Brom this season, may well be asked to slot straight into the team, barring any major transfer activity in the defensive positions this season.
Given 30-year-old full-back Glen Johnson – the man Wisdom first played understudy to at Anfield as a teenager – is set to leave on a free and Jon Flanagan’s ongoing absence through injury, a gap has appeared.
The need to reinstate a specialised right-sided defender, either in a back three or orthodox back four, was never more apparent than in the final-day humbling at Stoke.
Emre Can’s exposure as a makeshift defender made for painful viewing and the German U21 will surely have to be shifted back into midfield in 2015/16.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid loanee Javier Manquillo looks short on quality, giving just one more reason why Wisdom’s big chance could be lurking.
Having immediately impressed Brendan Rodgers shortly after the former Chelsea coach was appointed manager in the summer of 2012, the powerful defender, still only 19 back then, clocked up 19 first-team appearances during the following campaign.
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