Will Wright sees Klopp-style pressing as a route towards Liverpool’s first team

Eight goals in nine academy appearances have put Will Wright in a strong position to push for a Liverpool debut. The 18-year-old says Andoni Iraola’s energetic approach has familiar roots: it echoes Jürgen Klopp’s emphasis on pressing at the right moments.

“Jurgen (Klopp) had that philosophy of pressing at the right moments,” Wright said, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo. “The gaffer is the exact same as that, he loves an energetic side.”

For Wright, that connection is more than a comparison between two managers. He said Iraola’s system was new to him during pre-season and took time to understand. Watching Liverpool play and talking with teammates helped him adjust, he said, and the style gives him “more tools to do well in the first team.”

That matters for a young striker trying to make the step up. Wright is scoring regularly for the academy, but his comments point to the value of a playing approach he believes can help young players adapt to senior football. He has also cited Lewis Koumas and other young players as examples of earning opportunities through hard work.

Liverpool’s league position gives that development a wider context. They sit ninth after six games, with nine points from two wins, three draws and one defeat. The team visits Brentford on Saturday, 17 October, while Wright continues to work towards his senior debut.

The immediate measure for Wright remains his academy output: eight goals in nine appearances. But he sees a familiar pressing philosophy in Iraola’s side, and believes learning it has added tools to his first-team pursuit.