Forget Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool already have his teenage scouse successor

A chapter well and truly ended on Sunday afternoon during Liverpool's 2-2 stalemate with Arsenal.

As Trent Alexander-Arnold made his way onto the pitch, the club's supporters sitting on the stands at Anfield made their feelings clear.

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You can have your own opinion about whether that was right or wrong but what is undeniable is that he's the past.

Liverpool's future lies elsewhere and right now it feels hollow. Alexander-Arnold was not only a generational player, he represented an idyllic idea.

The boyhood academy star, who made his way through the ranks and achieved everything. The young scouse kid who was going to become the captain of Liverpool one day.

That idea is gone. Alexander-Arnold lost his legacy and for that he will atone for with the rich and glamour of Real Madrid.

For Liverpool, they need a new poster boy for the academy. And there's one player who is ready to step into Alexander-Arnold's shoes.

It's not Curtis Jones.

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He seems like the obvious choice. But Jones has already established himself at Liverpool he's written his own story alongside Alexander-Arnold.

Liverpool need a new fairy tale and Jayden Danns is the perfect story line.

He's a kid who was given his chance by Jurgen Klopp. A kid who had been written off at academy level but rose through the ranks and became a goal-scoring machine.

Now he's been scoring goals for Liverpool's first team as well, with remarkable consistency. He's averaged around a goal every 85 minutes he's spent on the pitch for Liverpool's first team.

There's a glow in his eyes every time he steps on the pitch. He still understands what it means to play for this club. He still has that desire and on top of that the quality as well.

On paper, Danns is the perfect striker for Arne Slot. At the academy people used to compare his style to Roberto Firmino.

Danns is both a provider and a goals-scorer.

He possess a really unique profile as a forward.

Both tall and strong, he’s difficult to shrug off the ball and he is able to use his body really well to shield the ball from his opponents. At the same time, he also has the speed and the technical ability to excel in one vs one situations.

Having learned his trade at a midfielder, Danns often likes to drop back into midfield even when playing as a striker. He will peel off his defenders, hold them off and wait for overlapping runners to send through on goal.

His first moments for Liverpool's first team were a bit like this - dropping deep against Luton to send Cody Gakpo through on goal - and creating a chance that was ultimately converted by Harvey Elliott.

Last season at academy level Danns averaged 1.21 through passes per 90, which is really high for a forward. But it just goes to show his intelligence and his ability to drop into midfield and spot line-breaking passes.

This game intelligence is something that Slot wants from his no.9. He's made it clear he wants a forward who can be tactically flexible.

But it's not just for his creative prowess that Danns has earned comparisons to Firmino for. It's for his pressing as well.

Last season, he smothered opposition defenders while playing for the U18s and often forced them into mistakes to create goal-scoring opportunities.

Danns is quick and that speed allows him to close down spaces fast. The running and energy he provides off the ball are all elements that make him the ideal forward for Slot's style of play.

He can operate well in tight spaces, averaging over four dribbles per 90 at academy level last season and now completing 62.5% of his attempted dribbles for Liverpool's senior team.

The only thing missing is availability. Danns has grown a lot over the last year. He's growth spurt has meant Liverpool have had to be careful with him.

He missed pre-season under Slot last summer. Now he's missed the whole second-half of the season and a loan to Sunderland because of similar issues.

People forget he's still a teenager and many players have gone through similar issues during the beginning of their careers - most notably Steven Gerrard.

But in the long-term, Liverpool's patience will pay off. Danns has all the tools to be the club's next scouse star and fill that Alexander-Arnold void.

The best thing is that Slot genuinely seems to believe in him as well. When Danns has been available, he's been involved. He's one of the few academy players who has played in all four competitions for Liverpool this season.

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Slot has also taken a liking to him in training. So, if he can get himself in the right shape for pre-season, there is a golden opportunity for Danns to make his mark in this team.