Rhian Brewster: Liverpool forward determined to shine at Swansea

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Media caption,

Brewster excited to work with 'great manager' Cooper

It is a suggestion which makes Rhian Brewster smile.

The 2020-21 season is under way and Liverpool, the champions, are playing Swansea City in the Premier League. Brewster is lining up in red against the club he has just helped to promotion.

"You never know," Brewster tells BBC Sport Wales. "That would be decent."

Liverpool's long wait for a league title seems more certain to end this spring by the week.

The prospect of Swansea returning to the Premier League looks far less likely at this stage, but Brewster is in no doubts about what can be achieved having arrived at the Liberty Stadium on loan for the rest of the season.

What would the 19-year-old regard as success over the next four months?

"Getting promoted," he declares, "and being a key part in the team - scoring a few goals, getting assists and working hard."

Brewster is a player with technical quality who Swansea boss Steve Cooper feels will offer his team a different dimension in attack.

Cooper, who knows Brewster well from his days as England Under-17 coach, is not the forward's only admirer.

'He will always score goals'

"I have seen him in the last three or four years in the academy and he will be a top-class player," Liverpool legend Ian Rush tells BBC Sport Wales.

"After three or four games, once he gets his match fitness, the Swansea supporters will see the best of him. One thing is certain, he will always score goals."

Jurgen Klopp put Brewster on the Liverpool bench for a Premier League game as long ago as April 2017.

Thanks in part to some significant injury problems, Brewster's senior debut did not come until last September, and he arrived at Swansea last week having made three Liverpool appearances.

Klopp said no to a loan when Cooper came calling last summer because of Brewster's fitness troubles last season, but now he feels the time is right.

"It was a good moment to send him on loan, to help Swansea hopefully and Swansea can help Rhian and then us," Klopp said last week.

The idea is that Brewster, whose Swansea debut at Cardiff last Sunday was also the first league appearance of his career, will return to Liverpool next season with a better chance of breaking into Klopp's side.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Rhian Brewster scored a spot-kick in Liverpool's penalty shootout win over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup in October

'Liverpool is my club'

"That's my aim," Brewster says. "I am at Liverpool - Liverpool's my club. For the future I want to be a Liverpool player.

"Bobby (Firmino), Mo (Salah), Sadio (Mane) - I want to be up there playing week in, week out.

"I think this loan move will help if it goes well. Hopefully it does - it will help put a baseline there for me which will help me prove myself.

"I just want to prove that I am ready to play professional games."

Liverpool, who have not won the title for 30 years, are 14 points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand.

In the circumstances, Brewster might have been forgiven for staying on Merseyside.

"Of course I want to win titles but I need to play," he says.

"The best thing for me is not to stay at Liverpool and maybe sit on the bench or not be in the squad or waiting for cup games.

"Of course I could have stayed and tried to be part of the squad to win the league, but I thought the best thing for me was to go on loan, get game-time and try to get Swansea promoted."

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Rhian Brewster made his England Under-21 debut against Turkey in September 2019

Adding to his honours

A Championship promotion would add to what is already an impressive CV.

Brewster, who left Chelsea for Liverpool when aged 14 because he felt the pathway to the first team was clearer at Anfield, helped England to the runners-up spot at the Under-17 European Championship in 2017.

A few months later, he was one of the stars of Cooper's team as they lifted the Under-17 World Cup.

Brewster scored in the final against Spain, his eighth goal of a tournament at which he won the golden boot.

He picks that England success as his best moment yet despite getting his hands on a Champions League medal after being named on the bench for Liverpool's victory over Tottenham in last season's final.

"You don't win Champions Leagues every day," Brewster says.

"But probably playing the World Cup, the goals I scored to help the team - that's up there.

"Also you can't forget the Arsenal 5-5 game (earlier this season) - what a game that was to be involved in - and even the Champions League semi-final with Barca (last season).

"I didn't come on but that was a great moment. I have had a few."

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Rhian Brewster was booked for a foul just a few minutes into his debut for Swansea at Cardiff last weekend

Picking the Swans

The hope is that there are many more to come.

Brewster had few opportunities to impress as Swansea scrapped with Cardiff last weekend, though he has won praise for putting in a shift.

"It was a baptism of fire for him against Cardiff but what I liked was that they kicked him a lot but he gave it back," adds Rush. "He is not one of those who will lie down and take it."

Brewster grins when talk turns to his early booking for a foul on Cardiff's Lee Tomlin.

"I thought the ball was there to be won," he says.

"I am not afraid to get stuck in. I think I can hold my own."

A string of clubs were interested when it became clear Brewster would be allowed to leave Liverpool on loan, so it was quite a coup for Swansea to secure his signature.

"I thought it was the best option for me and now I have got to prove that it is," Brewster says.

"Swansea play football. They play a similar formation to Liverpool.

"Obviously knowing the manager and the backroom staff helps and also knowing a few players - Yan (Dhanda), now Marc (Guehi) and Conor (Gallagher) have come in as well."

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Rhian Brewster (L), here training alongside Virgil van Dijk (R), made three cup appearances for Liverpool this season before joining Swansea

The Three Muskeeters

Chelsea duo Guehi and Gallagher, who have also joined Swansea on loan, were World Cup winners alongside Brewster.

"The Three Musketeers," Brewster says.

What is it about Cooper that made the trio want to join him in Wales?

"I don't even want to say it because I know he will get a big head!" Brewster says.

"He is a great manager. He helps you, he talks to you, training is good.

"You know if it's not happening for you he is a face that you can go to and talk to. You can knock on his door."

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Rhian Brewster (L) scored two hat-tricks en route to lifting the 2017 Under-17 World Cup under Steve Cooper (R)

All being well, there will be no need for a chat between now and the end of the season.

Swansea are seventh in the Championship, outside the play-offs on goal difference and 10 points short of second place.

"Automatic promotion would be great but winning the play-off final would also be great," Brewster says.

"I will take any of them. Whatever I can do to help, I will try."

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