Andreas Schjelderup has explained that he rejected a move to Liverpool due to his desire for a more direct route to a first-team setup.
The playmaker admitted the decision was far from easy for himself and his family, though one that has arguably paid dividends in light of his inclusion in NXGN 2022’s top 50 wonderkids (ranking 29th).
“Of course, it was a bit hard (turning down Liverpool), because when you grow up, you watch the big names and then you hear that they want you, so your head starts to spin,” the teenager told Neil Jones at Goal.
“But I got a lot of help from my father and agents, who helped me make the right decision.
“It hurt a little bit for me and my dad in our hearts (not to join Liverpool), but the move here was instead of going to an academy at Under-19 or Under-17 level.
“It felt like this step in the ocean was the right one for me. I was in the Under-19s team when I got started, but I knew when I was ready that I could take a step up to the first team.”
The attacking midfielder, who can also play up top and on the left-wing when required to, has registered three goals and an assist this term for Nordsjaelland.
One has to admire the youngster for prioritising what he felt would be the right move for his personal development.
That being said, with Jurgen Klopp a keen promoter of young talent, it could be argued that the midfielder may very well have seen some first-team minutes if he’d impressed enough at youth level in Merseyside.
It’s an academic argument, of course, and we certainly wish the player nothing but the best in the early years of his career.
Who knows – perhaps a Liverpool move could eventually be on the horizon if he continues his upward trajectory in Norway.
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