Harvey Elliott claims he 'needs to be more selfish' as he targets starting spot in Arne Slot's 'elegant' Liverpool regime - and reveals which high-profile DJ has become a 'close friend'
- Harvey Elliott says he wants to become more of a leader figure to youngsters
- The Reds star claimed he will have to be 'more selfish' in a bid to impress Slot
- He returned from holiday early but went to watch a 'close friend' DJ abroad
He might still have a baby face and carry himself with the innocence of youth – but Harvey Elliott is no kid any more. After a summer of partying with good friend and DJ Calvin Harris, the Liverpool midfielder is ready to dance his way into the forefront of Arne Slot’s plans.
Elliott is still just 21 but has played more than 100 games for the Reds, reaching his century at a younger age than Steven Gerrard and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Of the fully-fit players on their tour of America, only Mohamed Salah has more appearances for the club.
Now Elliott reckons he is ready to step up as a leader and become one of the main men under the new regime at Anfield. Speaking in Philadelphia, the midfielder is here to talk about Ibiza nights, his five years at the club and how it is now his turn to be a mentor for the youngsters.
‘I am at an age now where I want to cement my place in the team and I want to be playing week in and week out – and as I said it is not going to just come for me,’ says Elliott, speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Stateside meeting with Arsenal on Wednesday night.
‘It's just to make it more about myself and be a bit more selfish in certain ways but I have that team spirit in me, I will never lose that. I want to play for the team and the badge, I love the club and that is never going to leave me. But in certain situations, I need to think about myself more.
Harvey Elliott admitted he needs to be 'a bit more selfish' to nail down a starting place
The youngster returned to pre-season early and is aiming to increase his number of starts
Arne Slot is taking the Reds on a pre-season USA tour, beating Real Betis 1-0 in their first game
‘I just need to be myself. Us players, we're all here for a reason and the club has seen something in us. So I just need to make sure I do it on the pitch. If there is one person to blame, then it is me and no-one else – I need to take my opportunity and cement my place in the team.’
Last season, Elliott was the super-sub extraordinaire, scoring some big goals off the bench and adding energy into Jurgen Klopp’s midfield when fixture congestion was taking its toll. He played 47 times for Liverpool, but only 21 of those were starts.
There was a whiff of negativity as Liverpool’s league title tilt crashed and burned so Elliott took time off to enjoy a summer holiday, going to Ibiza with young team-mate Tyler Morton plus Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite. Boat parties and DJ sets at Ushuaia were the order of play.
But like Curtis Jones detailed last week, Elliott was one of several stars to cut short their break to report back to the training centre earlier than required. ‘I came back a week earlier because I was getting bored,’ says Elliott, laughing. ‘I just wanted to be around it again.
‘I just wanted to meet the gaffer, meet the staff and not get a head start but get myself back into the swing of things because I knew this pre-season was going to be intense and I wanted to be in the best possible position.
‘But Calvin Harris was really good! I went to see him a couple of times. Since the open-top bus parade (he did a set on the trophy parade after winning both domestic cups in 2022) he has been a close friend and we have always kept in contact.
‘I have always wanted to show my support for him because he has done it for us. It was nice to unwind, went away with one of my close friends Tyler, we had a training programme together and pushed each other to get into the best possible shape.’
Elliott’s father, Scott, played a pivotal role in his rise. As a kid, he was made to do a hill-climbing strength programme to improve his stamina. Many academies were sniffing around the Surrey-born midfielder, including Chelsea, but he settled at Fulham.
Elliott revealed his desire to become a mentor figure to youngster stars coming through
He also spoke of how world-famous DJ Calvin Harris has become a 'close friend' since 2022
Elliott Sr, often spotted at games with a notebook, was the driving force in his formative years and still chips in with advice. ‘He is always trying to push me as hard as he can, which is why he’s a great dad,’ said Elliott last year. ‘There is always something I could have done better.’
But now he is ready to be a more senior figure himself. He explains: ‘I’ve captained England in the Under 21s a few times so these are all things I’m taking with me. This pre-season we have a younger group so I want to be that voice.
‘I want them to come to me if they have anything to speak about or questions. I have been there before, I was a young lad in a massive team. I always had players around me that helped me out so I feel like it’s my job now to help in any way I can.
‘I have been around it for five years and I feel like this is my time to really kick on and really achieve what I want to achieve. From the club's perspective as well, trophy-wise, we're back in the Champions League now and it is all exciting.’
Elliott played as a No 9 in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Real Betis in Pittsburgh last week, though he is unlikely to feature so far forward when more senior figures report back from summer holidays. But the 21-year-old is loving life under Arne Slot.
‘(His style) is very elegant,’ adds Elliott. ‘A Dutch style, it’s very nice. We just need to keep building on it and keep playing because it’s a different style of play for us and let’s see where it will get us.
‘It’s kind of more about possession now. Managers have different styles of play and the gaffer now has a style which is about possession and keeping the ball, one touch and two touch passes but I’m not going to give away any details!
Elliott has described Slot's desired playing style as 'very elegant' and 'more about possession'
‘We are learning different roles and I think it's key for us to get the understanding now with one another and where we need to be in certain positions throughout games and certain situations and it is going to come but it is not something that will happen overnight.
‘We need to keep training, keep working at it, keep practicing. We have full belief in the gaffer in what he is saying, what he wants us to do – it's on all us players now to go and do that on the pitch.’
