Harvey Elliott’s nightmare spell at Valencia has taken another miserable turn after the on-loan Liverpool midfielder was sent off for two bookings in quick succession against Villarreal.

The 23-year-old was introduced with 20 minutes remaining in the Derbi de la Comunitat, hoping to make an impact with the score tied at 1-1 and Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye having been shown a straight red card.

But things didn’t quite go to plan for Elliott, who received two yellow cards in the space of a minute – both seemingly for dissent.

To make matters worse, with both sides down to 10 men, Villarreal went on to snatch all three points with a winner in the sixth minute of injury time.

It’s the latest low point in a career that has gone badly off track since Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp at Anfield in the summer of 2024.

Elliott played only a peripheral role in Liverpool’s 2024-25 title triumph, rarely trusted by Slot. But there was renewed hope that he might kick on after an outstanding European Under-21 Championship with England in the summer of 2025.

The midfielder was named Player of the Tournament after scoring five goals, including the opener in England’s final victory over Germany.

“Without doubt England’s most effective player from the first game onwards,” said the UEFA Technical Observer Group.

“Tactically, he showed incredible awareness to be able to find the spaces to receive passes in dangerous positions, and then the ability to make a difference inclusive of creating and scoring some of his team’s most crucial goals in their winning campaign.

“He also showed excellent leadership qualities with a great work ethic and team behaviour. A big player for the big stage.”

Previous winners of the award included the likes of Anthony Gordon and Fabian Ruiz, and at that point you’d have backed Elliott to kick on and become a senior England international.

A move to Unai Emery’s Aston Villa looked a great opportunity for a fresh start, particularly given the Spanish coach’s track record of developing and improving English talent like Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers.

Instead, the move turned into a disaster. Elliott’s loan agreement included a £35million obligation to buy if he made 10 appearances, but Villa decided against making the deal permanent.

He was subsequently frozen out to avoid triggering the clause, playing just 304 minutes in a thoroughly wasted year at a crucial juncture of his career.

A second successive loan move, this time to Valencia, offered another chance to get his career back on track. But things have somehow gone from bad to worse.

Carlos Corberan, who had personally convinced Elliott to join the Spanish club, was sacked shortly after his arrival following a disastrous start to the campaign.

Spanish newspaper Marca subsequently reported concerns over Elliott’s fitness, claiming that he’d arrived above his optimal playing weight.

Despite Valencia reportedly making him their third-highest earner, the midfielder has struggled to establish himself under Corberan’s successor Javier Aguirre.

He’d played just 133 minutes across six La Liga matches in which he’d been available before the visit of Villarreal, prompting reports that Liverpool had sent representatives to Spain for talks over how to get his career moving in the right direction.

Saturday’s extraordinary dismissal won’t have helped his cause.

The result leaves Valencia sitting second-bottom of the La Liga table, with just one win from their opening matches.

Elliott, meanwhile, faces another spell on the sidelines through suspension.