Harvey Elliott has admitted he is determined to make the most of his return to Liverpool after describing his loan spell at Aston Villa as a difficult period in his career.
The midfielder moved to Villa Park last summer on a season-long loan deal, with an agreement in place that would have seen Unai Emery’s side sign him permanently for £35 million if he reached 10 appearances.
However, Villa opted against activating that clause early in the campaign, leaving Elliott with just nine appearances and 277 minutes of football before returning to Liverpool sooner than expected.
Emery later labelled the situation “embarrassing for everyone involved”, while Elliott has now opened up on the challenges he faced during his time away from Anfield.
“I wanted to go and explore something, come out of my comfort zone and do something that I thought personally would take me on as a player again,” Elliott said after Liverpool’s 1-0 pre-season victory over Wrexham in New York.
“But unfortunately it didn’t work out.”
Elliott raring to go on return
The 23-year-old has since returned to Merseyside and has featured in both of Liverpool’s opening pre-season fixtures under new head coach Andoni Iraola, seeing the opportunity as a fresh start.
“Now I’m here and it’s kind of a second chance, if you want to call it that,” he added.
“Especially with the gaffer and new coaching staff coming in, it’s another chance to impress and hopefully get in their good books.
“I wish Villa nothing but the very best. I had a lot of love for them and they treated me very well. Unfortunately, the situation happened but it’s another learning curve.
“I’m here now and I’m trying to cement my spot in the team or within the squad.”
Elliott came through Fulham’s academy before becoming the youngest player to feature in Premier League history when he made his debut aged 16. He joined Liverpool in 2019 and initially became a regular under Jurgen Klopp.
However, opportunities became more limited during Arne Slot’s title-winning campaign in 2024-25, with Elliott making 18 Premier League appearances before leaving on loan.
Midfielder opens up on mental difficulties
The midfielder admitted his time at Villa tested him mentally, despite ending the season with a positive achievement after helping the club win the Europa League.
“Mentally, it was a very tough one. It was a learning curve,” Elliott explained.
“It was an opportunity for me to experience something new, as much as I didn’t want to do it, and I don’t wish it upon any other player because it’s not nice at all.
“But I have no hard feelings. I’m on the other side of it now.
“I was able to get through it and achieve something at the end of the season as well. To be part of another historical moment for the club was a great situation.
“Right now, I’m just thinking about making sure I’m physically and mentally 100% and trying to impress on the pitch,” he said.
“When the right time comes to ask him [Iraola], that’s when I’ll go and ask.
“Ultimately, it’s just down to me. As long as I’m putting in the effort, hard work and desire on the pitch, then I feel like I have the opportunities.”
Elliott added that returning to Liverpool has reminded him why he loves playing for the club.
“I’m really happy to be back. Since the first day I walked through the door at training, I had a big beaming smile on my face.
“I’m wearing this strip again and putting this shirt on, and I just want to be free, play as much as I can and just enjoy it, because sometimes I don’t feel like I do it enough.
“Playing at Liverpool, there’s no better feeling.”
