Harvey Elliott was named player of the match at the Under-21 Euros this summer, but his loan move from Liverpool to Aston Villa didn’t live up to expectations.
Harvey Elliott, Anthony Gordon, Fabian Ruiz, Juan Mata, Thiago. What do they all have in common? They’ve all been named Player of the Year at the Under-21 Euros.
What Elliott has in common with the other four is that he can use his personal accolades as a springboard to bigger things — for now, anyway.
The Aston Villa loan star was sensational as England’s Young Lions reclaimed the European title in the summer. The 22-year-old scored in the quarter-final win over Spain, scored the winning goal to defeat the Netherlands in the last four, and scored again in the final win against Germany.
Some of his personal qualities, especially his late victory over the Dutchman in the semi-finals, were those of a player full of confidence and destined to step up. I always thought this would be a defining summer for Elliott, but the months that followed were far from ideal.
Unlike some of the young players who shine in these tournaments, the best teams in Europe aren’t coming to buy players from so-called lower-tier clubs. No, Elliott was already at Liverpool. So what did the Premier League champions do when they realized they had clearly the best young player in Europe? They brought him forward.
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Not a strong endorsement of what the club thinks about their young sensations. But that wasn’t the biggest surprise of all time. Elliott made just two starts in the Premier League in the year before he made his mark at the Euros. He was used consecutively as a substitute by Arne Slot.
It was clear that for some reason the door at Anfield was not open to the Fulham academy graduate. He had been patient for several years, but the opportunity never came. Of course, the question needs to be asked as to why Liverpool felt they had more players than they needed from their summer production.
Such people are usually in demand. Mata moved from Valencia to Chelsea after making his breakthrough in the tournament. Thiago moved from Barcelona to Bayern Munich, where Josep Guardiola was waiting. Going back in history, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar moved to Ajax after his performance at the Under-21 Euros. Royston Drenthe has moved from Feyenoord to Real Madrid.
Elliott had been on the radar of RB Leipzig for several weeks, but he ended up joining Aston Villa. Although the names aren’t quite the same, the Midlands team has made the European spot their home in recent years.
But if England’s youngster thought new surroundings meant new opportunities, he was wrong. He was not even in the team that won against Manchester City, meaning he has played just 167 of the 810 minutes he has been available since joining Unai Emery’s side. He has played in just five games and, more worryingly, has only started once.
A Spanish commander explained this disrespect: “He’s been training well and played a few games, but his performances weren’t what we needed. Some players are playing as number 10 and they’re playing well, like Buendia, Rodgers and Ross Barkley after he was out.”
Elliott became the second English player to be named the Under-21 Euro Player of the Year, following Newcastle ace Gordon. The former Everton man has reached a new level following his exploits with England, producing his best scoring season.
Gordon was soon linked with a move to Liverpool, but Newcastle alerted them to their interest with an £80m price tag. He played a central role as a winger last season, winning the Carabao Cup, and remains a key figure in what the team wants to achieve.
After a slow start to the season, Villa’s rise to form has allowed Elliott to put time on his side, but it has been far from the ideal start to what was supposed to be a period of development. What is even more concerning is that his loan move includes a buyout obligation. This means the Midlands outfit will have to take him regardless of whether he becomes a starter or not.
U21 Euro Tournament Player of the Year
2006 – Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
2007 – Royston Drenthe
2009 – Marcus Berg
2011 – Juan Mata
2013 – Thiago
2015 – William Carvalho
2017 – Dani Ceballos
2019 – Fabian Ruiz
2021 – Fabio Vieira
2023 – Anthony Gordon
2025 – Harvey Elliott
Elliott’s frustration will no doubt be compounded by the noise surrounding the likes of Elliott Anderson, with whom he played in England’s victorious Under-21 side. The Nottingham Forest midfielder is currently a mainstay under manager Thomas Tuchel and has been linked with playing at next summer’s World Cup, with the likes of Newcastle and Manchester United eyeing him.
Career movement and growth are two tangible things that players cannot guarantee when planning their next steps. Mata, Luiz and Thiago all went on to win the Champions League with their clubs following their performances at the Under-21 Euros.
In contrast, Fabio Vieira, who was the player of the match at Euro 2021, immediately opted to move from Porto to Arsenal, but his move was extremely disappointing. Despite spending £34 million, he ended up being second fiddle to Martin Odegaard and hasn’t progressed since. His compatriot William Carvalho also won the award in 2015, but chose to remain at Sporting Lisbon, which did not end well for him. He is currently playing in Mexico.
European clubs prefer the next best thing. And few places offer a better platform to show that you’re a rising star than the U21 Euros.
It is the birthplace of Champions League winners and, in the 1990s, Ballon d’Or winners. Similarly, it was a place with a long forgotten name. In 2009, young Swede Marcus Berg rose to prominence in a tournament that featured Mesut Ozil, Mario Balotelli and Nemanja Matic. He has now returned to his home country with IFK Gothenburg after stints in Germany, Greece and Russia.
Elliott is only a few months into his first post-Euro season but insisted he needed to be “selfish and figure out what’s best for me”.
What is clear is that being left out of the matchday squad is not in Elliott’s best interest. Despite the worrying situation, he has enough time to turn the tide and will one day hope to look back and be seen as more Thiago than Berg.
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