The teenager has established himself for the Reds’ youth teams, and now he could be on his way to the US senior squad.
Antoine Griezmann is reportedly a fan of Keyrol Figueroa. The veteran France international has given him his support, has repeatedly contacted the winger via WhatsApp and Instagram, and has kept an eye on his progress.
It’s high praise for the teenager, who has become a centre of attraction for fans after representing the US at youth level. He has signed a professional contract, established himself for the Liverpool academy, and is on the verge of senior football. His exceptional performances for club and country – despite the occasional injury – have made him a hot favourite for the Reds’ first team. There’s no doubt the future is bright.
The USMNT could come calling, too. Figueroa, speed, smarts and all, is the player the national team needs through the center. There’s more football to come, of course, but keep improving, and Mauricio Pochettino could call him up.
But who exactly is Figueroa? Why does Griezmann rate him so highly? And how did he score seven goals in seven games at the Under-17 Concacaf Championship?
Where it all started?
Football is in Figueroa’s lineage. Born in Honduras, he is the son of long-time Honduran resident and professional player Maynor Figueroa. His father had a stellar football career, playing in the Premier League and MLS, while making a record 181 appearances for the national team. But where Maynor was a strong centre back who could also play on the left, Keyrol is a lanky and tricky forward.
He was first discovered by FC Dallas, where his father was a regular on the senior team. Figueroa continued to impress for the Texas side, putting in strong performances in youth tournaments against teams such as Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City. And after a successful showing at a tournament at England’s national training centre, Liverpool snapped him up. They added him to their Under 14 academy team, where he was a regular goalscorer.
What comes next?
Things are going well. Figueroa signed his first professional contract through early 2024 and has now become a regular for the U.S. youth national sides. He’s also performing well in the Liverpool U21s. It will be interesting to see what happens next. In Figueroa, Liverpool certainly have a great talent, but also a valuable asset. Perhaps a loan move makes sense, especially if he’s able to go somewhere and get regular minutes (breaking into Arne Slot’s first team looks like a big challenge at the moment.)
Either way, Figueroa is developing more every month. Griezmann is probably on to something
