It was surreal trying to stop Luis Diaz at Liverpool

Luca Stephenson speaks to the ECHO about his loan experience at Barrow, training with Arne Slot's first team, progressing in Scotland for Dundee United and his aim at Liverpool This kind of thing just didn't happen at Barrow. Still finding his bearings at right-back, Luca Stephenson looked up and saw Luis Diaz barrelling towards him while, on the other flank, Mohamed Salah loitered with intent as Arne Slot watched from the sidelines. After a season on loan in League Two, this summer was a first taste of the elite level at Liverpool for the Academy graduate.

And Stephenson knew now was the time to impress. "I'd never really trained with the first team until I came back from Barrow," he says to the ECHO. "It was a surreal moment.

To be training with Salah and co is not something to be taken lightly after a year in League Two. I did my first week with the under-21s in pre-season, then I spoke to the Academy manager (Alex Inglethorpe) and he said you may get a chance with the first team. "Once you go over there and do one session, it's on you really to make sure you impress.

You might stay up there if you do." Stephenson evidently succeeded, remaining part of the squad that travelled for the tour of the USA. With Trent Alexander-Arnold among the international contingent still on holiday, the youngster featured against Real Betis, Arsenal and Manchester United before an Anfield outing in the friendly win over Sevilla.

"With the Euros and Copa America in the summer, there was a shortage of first-team players," he says. "I saw that as a good opportunity to show the new manager I was ready to take my chance. "It was crazy playing in front of those crowds.

Going from playing in front a few thousand at Barrow to almost 80,000 in America was a proud moment. It's something you dream of at a very young age." Not that the step up among the first team was straightforward.

"Who was the most difficult opponent in training? Most to be fair, if I'm being honest!" laughs Stephenson, who is currently on a season-long loan at Scottish Premiership side Dundee United. "The quality in the first team is outrageous really, isn't it? You train against Luis Diaz, Fabio Carvalho was still there, those players were playing down the left and are running at you in training..

. I would look forward to it but think 'jeez, this is going to be a hard session!'. "But it stands you in good stead because now I'm thinking if I can get through a 90-minute in-house game against Luis Diaz, then I can have full confidence playing against anybody as he's one of the best wingers in the world.

"I spoke to the manager when we were out in America. He said he'd been impressed by me and spoke about last season's loan and what the level was like there. He was really good with me.

" That Stephenson caught the eye playing at right-back will have raised a wry smile from many Academy observers. The Sunderland-born player, who has been at Liverpool since U15 level and played in the FA Youth Cup final defeat to Aston Villa in 2021, gained a reputation for versatility in the youth ranks despite having an obvious preference when heading out for his first loan last year. "Everybody at Liverpool thought I was best going on loan as a midfielder and Barrow saw me as one," he says.

"Then about three weeks into the spell both right-backs got injured and the manager said 'look, I've seen you play right-back before, do you fancy it?' and I ended up playing there, had a few good games and went from there. "I played at right-back in pre-season for Liverpool, and Dundee United have brought me in as a right wing-back. I wouldn't say right-back was my first position but I've learned a lot about it in the last couple of years to know what I am doing.

" Stephenson made 34 appearances for Barrow last term as they narrowly missed out on the League Two play-offs. And he readily admits the experience was an initial culture shock. "The first day you walk through the door, I realised it was completely different to Liverpool," he says.

"That's no slight on Barrow, but more credit to Liverpool for the standard of their facilities. "It was a bit of a shock at first. People can tell you what you're going into, but until you experience it and you're around a new set of lads who are much older than you, you don't really know.

"Last year was my first real taste of men's football, and you realise it's a job for many people. Obviously they enjoy it, but when you're chasing promotion or to avoid relegation and you want your win bonuses or a new contract, the pressure is much more. "At Academy level, naturally the contracts are a lot longer, but in the lower leagues contract length can often depend on performances and where you are in the league.

Promotion and relegation can have a major effect on clubs and players - I learned that at Barrow when we were pushing for the play-offs. I realised how much people wanted it and needed it for their careers." It was a move Stephenson had requested having witnessed the shift in perception regards Academy loans at Liverpool.

"A big reason was the year before Conor Bradley had gone to Bolton, Jarell Quansah to Bristol Rovers, and they both came back and got themselves into the first team," he says. "They put their foot in the door, and I thought if I could get a year away, I can come back and put my stamp on the first team. Obviously the loan did me good because when I came back I got the chance to go to the USA.

"Liverpool are really good with loan players and are in touch frequently. I'm in a WhatsApp group chat with loans manager Matt Newberry along with a member of staff from various parts of the U21s, from nutrition-related to sports science-related, so if I ever need help I can call on them. "And just because they might not be in contact all the time, it doesn't mean they are not watching.

But when you're out on loan, it's about experiencing things for yourself and finding your own way - you don't want to have to lean on Liverpool all the time." There is, though, no doubting the impact of his time at the Academy, first under Marc Bridge-Wilkinson and then Barry Lewtas. "The influence they have had is massive," says Stephenson.

"When I came in Bridgey was my U15s coach. I was with him from 15s up to 18s. Sometimes he was hard on me but it always made me better.

"Then at the U21s with Baz, he taught me something totally different. He chucked me in at right-back as there wasn't much room in midfield and it's something at the time I would have conversations with him that weren't too pleasant because I was saying 'how am I supposed to impress playing out here?'. "Whether Baz knew or not, years down the line I'm really thankful to him for doing it.

I showed what I could do on the pitch regardless of what position." So to the present day. Stephenson, who turned 21 last month, has already experienced the extremes of senior football at Dundee United this season.

Having scored on his league debut, he later conceding a last-minute penalty in a League Cup quarter-final defeat to Motherwell which prompted him to make the 200-mile overnight drive home to the North East after the game in complete silence. Then the following week, he assisted two goals - including winning an injury-time spot kick - to secure a 3-3 draw at Kilmarnock. "It's going really well," says Stephenson.

"Playing games is the most important thing when you go out on loan but I feel I've put in my fair share of good performances so far. I'm learning about myself in terms of the level is better up here. "In two of my first games, we were against Hearts and St Mirren and they'd just been playing European qualifiers, which is definitely something you don't get in League Two.

"The games aren't too frequent - it's more spaced out than in England - so for young players, that gives us time for bodies to rest after games. When you play Saturday-Saturday it's much easier than the Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday I had to do in League Two last year. You can focus on good performances rather than your body being constantly knackered.

" What, then, are the aims for Stephenson? "While I'm at Dundee United, it's important the team does well," he says. "That always reflects well on a player. To get as many games under my belt as I can as a young player here would be great, and to keep on chipping in with goal contributions.

"Longer term, when I come back to Liverpool I'll have a year left on my deal and then it's about whether I can earn a new contract. That's the aim - you want another long contract at Liverpool." Certainly, with his positive outlook and strong mentality, the likeable Stephenson is giving himself every chance.

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