Pundit compares Liverpool ace Stefan Bajcetic to Xavi
Liverpool midfielder Stefan Bajcetic has been backed by Jamie O’Hara to become a “top, top player”.
The pundit told talkSPORT the Reds talent reminds him of Barcelona and Spain midfield legend Xavi.
Liverpool paid Celta Vigo a reported £224,000 to bring Bajcetic to Anfield in 2020.
The 18-year-old has broken into the Reds first-team this term and is one of their most in-form players.
He has already made 16 senior appearances in all competitions for the Liverpool first-team this season.
Bajcetic has also scored one goal, netting in the Boxing Day victory over Aston Villa.
His emergence has lessened the impact caused by Liverpool’s failure to adequately bolster their midfield this season.
And obviously, with Bajcetic being just 18, his ceiling is extremely high and he will likely get much better.
“I grew up watching Xavi and Paul Scholes,” O’Hara told talkSPORT (1/3/23, 11:40pm).
“I used to watch videos of them all the time, constantly. The way they would receive the ball.
“If you’re a young midfielder, watch that Liverpool midfielder.
“If you watch him play on the half turn, he is like a little young Xavi in there.
“Those little intricate passes and the way he gets it. Honestly, he is a joy to watch. He really is.
“He’s going to grow into a top, top player for Liverpool.”
Stepping up
Liverpool seem to have a knack of uncovering top talents through amid personnel crises and on-pitch adversity.
When they had their defensive crisis two years ago, the likes of Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams stepped up.
This season, Liverpool have struggled in midfield, and Bajcetic has come to the fore.
The Reds will obviously need to bolster their ranks in the summer amid expiring contracts and ageing legs.
However, Bajcetic’s emergence means they’re not in such disarray now.
