Dominic Solanke dreaming of Champions League final winner after breaking Liverpool duck
The young striker opened his Anfield account on the final day of the domestic season
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Dominic Solanke is already dreaming a winner in Saturday’s Champions League final, fresh from scoring his first Liverpool goal on the final day of the domestic season.
The 20-year-old striker has endured a challenging first year at Anfield, having moved when his contract expired at boyhood club Chelsea last summer.
Solanke was named the player of the tournament at the 2017 Under-20 World Cup after scoring four goals for Paul Simpson’s triumphant England side.
Yet the Reading-born youngster was made to wait 680 minutes to break his duck at his new club, scoring Liverpool’s third in a 4-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion last time out.
Solanke played from the off against Brighton but is likely to have to make do with a place on the substitutes’ bench in Kiev, with Liverpool’s first-choice front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino expected to start.
Nevertheless, the England youth international is eager to be given another chance to impress against Real Madrid and if one comes, he hopes to take it.
“It’s always nice to get your first goal,” he said of his goal against Brighton. “I had to wait a bit longer than I wanted, but I was delighted after that.
“It’s always difficult as a striker when you haven’t scored for a while and frustrating, but you just have to keep going, stay confident and when the goal comes, to maintain it.
“Of course I’ve been thinking about getting the winning goal in Kiev,” Solanke admitted. “That’s the dream.”
Solanke has started just six times for Liverpool since arriving last summer but can have few complaints given the form of Salah, Mané and Firmino, who have scored 90 goals between them this season.
Indeed, Solanke believes that watching and playing alongside the free-scoring trio has only helped him improve and he harbours no regrets about leaving Chelsea, where he made just one senior appearance.
“I’ve learnt watching them,” Solanke said of Salah, Mané and Firmino. “You have to take it all in, watching them play, training with them every day, you can only learn.
“What they have done this season is amazing. I feel I’m a better player watching them and training with them.
“It was hard to leave Chelsea. I was there from such a young age, but when I came here everyone welcomed me. It’s such an amazing club and we should always be fighting for trophies and we have got a good chance now. Hopefully we can do that.
“It’s always hard to move, but it’s part of football and you have got to make a change for your career sometimes and I’m happy I came here and want to try and carry on doing what I can do.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments