Liverpool won the race with Arsenal for Will Wright just over a year ago - and his performances in the youth setup are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore

If successive away-day hat-tricks in the UEFA Youth League could have been the catalyst for an inflation of Will Wright's ego, the start of August 2025 serves as the reason why the Liverpool starlet remains grounded.

It was a whirlwind few days for the now 18-year-old last summer, when he choose Liverpool over Arsenal after the opportunity to move from Salford City arose. Just days later he was featuring at Anfield alongside his senior colleagues in pre-season friendly win over Athletic Club.

In between those milestone career moments, Wright also passed his driving test, so the idea that the teenager would need bringing back down to earth after back-to-back trebles away from home in Europe is firmly kiboshed by Under-21s boss Rob Page.

"He’s got a great support around him," Page says. "His family are very supportive. Alex (Inglethrope, Academy director) is there to lean on, he’s got myself and Jay (Spearing), good influences.

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"Within a week of signing for Liverpool, he passed his driving test and played at Anfield. He never got carried away.

"What did I say to him at full-time? It was just a bit of a joke, another hat-trick, another match ball! It’s great to see young players thrive like these at the minute. The front two today played really well together."

Page was speaking just moments after a 5-3 demolition of Fenerbahce at Pendik Stadium in the Youth League, a competition that has done so much for players like Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah and Ben Doak on their path towards their senior careers.

Previous standouts include Curtis Jones and Trent Alexander-Arnold and the competition serves as an important breeding ground for Liverpool as they look to hone and shape the next generation at Anfield.

Wright, who signed in a £200,000 deal, is the part of the latest crop looking to establish themselves and the frontman is making his mark at Academy level this term, with 13 goals across all competitions.

Sporting director Julian Ward was in Istanbul to oversee the U21s' impressive victory alongside head of loan management Gary Probert and Luiz Fernando Iubel, the individual development coach, who is viewed as the 'connector' between academy and senior level.

Unsurprisingly, Wright dominated the post-match chatter between the influential trio and his tally of six goals means he is joint top scorer in the Youth League alongside Stuttgart's Enis Redzepi.

At a time when head coach Andoni Iraola is using the Champions League to rest and rotate, particularly Alexander Isak- who has started one of four games in the group stage so far - the prospect of Wright being elevated to the first-team ranks has been floated.

Wright himself spoke last month about how much first-team involvement is a motivating factor for him and how he wants to learn from the likes of Isak and Hugo Ekitike by studying them at close quarters.

Page, though, insists Wright need not concern himself with being promoted yet, revealing that a loan move in January hasn't yet been ruled out of the equation.

"He doesn’t have to worry about [how far away he is from the first team]," Page says. "Just bring the best version of yourself every day in training, give absolutely everything in games as he does.

"The rest will take care of itself, whether it’s something in January, whether it’s keeping with us and the 21s, whether it’s our first team, he cannot control it but he can control a game day and at the minute he’s in a great place."

Having picked up a knee injury in September of last year's Youth League campaign, which kept him sidelined until January, Wright appears to be making up for lost time this time around.

When John Sonni-Lambie attempted to assume penalty duties after winning a spot kick against Fenerbahce, an on-field disagreement unfolded between him and Wright, who captained the side in Turkey.

It was a brief, regrettable flashpoint that then became an after-thought when Wright dispatched it with minimal fuss for his second goal of the day.

"They’re all hungry to score," Page says, playing down the spat. "Josh won it and wanted to take it, Will is in good form and is the penalty taker. I’d rather them be passionate about it than shy away from it."

Wright has already shown Iraola his game by being part of the contingent that flew to the United States for the pre-season tour in July.

The former Salford youngster played in two of the club's three pre-season friendlies Stateside, leading the line against Sunderland in Nashville's 4-2 victory before coming off the bench in a 1-0 triumph against Wrexham at New York's Yankee Stadium.

On what he needs to improve to further catch the eye of a head coach who has shown few qualms about giving youth a chance, Page adds: "His hold-up play is very good but can we take that to the next level?

"His heading, he scored a good one today but we have been working on getting him to the back post. There’s always stuff to work on."

Wright will spend the international break continuing to work on the traits Page mentions but such performances are making it increasingly difficult for Iraola to ignore.

And with a Carabao Cup quarter-final visit from Bournemouth in the horizon, Wright's performance in Turkey - in front of Ward and his inner circle - will certainly have boosted his chances for the call next month.