Liverpool has faced its share of challenges in the initial pre-season under new manager Andoni Iraola, but the rise of 18-year-old defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe offers a glimmer of hope.
Due to a shortage of personnel in central defense, Ndukwe, a teenager from Austria, has received more playing time than he anticipated.
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Having already played two full matches and one lasting 80 minutes, Ndukwe was given a starting position alongside captain Virgil van Dijk in the friendly against Monaco at Anfield on Sunday.
The towering 6ft 6in (1.98m) defender quickly impressed the crowd with a clever backheel that deceived Monaco’s Mika Biereth, followed by some crucial defensive interventions.
With the recent departure of France international Ibrahima Konate, it remains uncertain who will join Van Dijk in Liverpool’s first Premier League match against Newcastle.
However, it won’t be Ndukwe.
Post-Brexit regulations prevent him from participating in competitive matches for Liverpool until 2026, as he has not accumulated the necessary points for a UK work permit—limiting him to friendly appearances.
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Since the UK is no longer part of the European Union, clubs now face a more complicated work permit system to ensure that players, particularly those still establishing their careers, can transfer to England.
Currently, Ndukwe does not have enough points to acquire a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) for a work visa.
Another possibility is obtaining an Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) slot, which is designated for foreign players who do not qualify for the standard GBE.
Premier League and Championship clubs can utilize up to four ESC slots based on the percentage of minutes played by their England Qualified Players (EQP) from the previous season.
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However, clubs do not automatically qualify for all four slots.
The critical benchmark is 35% of minutes played, which would allow clubs to field four ESC players. Falling below this threshold reduces their number of available slots.
Due to Liverpool’s percentage last season, they have only secured one ESC spot, which has already been assigned to the 18-year-old Senegalese player, Mor Talla Ndiaye.