Elliott warns Reds he won't waste his career on bench & will discuss his future

Harvey Elliott has put Liverpool on red alert over his future by admitting he cannot continue 'wasting years' of his career.

The 22-year-old started just twice in the Premier League en route to Liverpool's title triumph and his peripheral involvement has left him contemplating whether the time has come to leave Anfield.

'It's just a situation that me and the team on my behalf have to have a conversation about, because I'm coming to an age now where I'm 22, I'm going to be 23 next season, and I don't really want to be wasting years of my career, because it's a short career,' Elliott said.

'I just want to improve and be the best possible version of myself and the best player I can be.

'If that's to go somewhere else, then it's a decision I'm going to have to make and I just need to see what happens.'

Liverpool are pushing for a £100million-plus deal for playmaker Florian Wirtz, which would potentially push Elliott further down the pecking order next season if he stays.

The midfielder is a Liverpool fan and spoke openly about his regular conversations with boss Arne Slot.

But as he heads to Slovakia for the Under 21 European Championship with England, he knows if he is to maximise his potential for club and country, his career is at a crucial juncture.

'Nothing makes me want to leave,' Elliott said. 'I love the club, I love the fans, the team. I support them as well.

'But as I said, most importantly, it's about what's best for my career. I just need to make that decision.'

Elliott's season has been one of frustration, a watching brief from the sidelines for the most part, although a highlight remains his cameo appearance in Liverpool's 1-0 win over eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in France.

Forty-seven seconds after coming on for Mohamed Salah, he escaped Nuno Mendes and found the bottom corner of the net to help Liverpool beat PSG in their own backyard.

Only three visiting teams won at the Parc des Princes all season and Liverpool shut them out, too.

'It's hard to put into words,' Elliott said. 'From watching the game and being involved in the game, PSG were very dominant, as they have been for the whole of the Champions League.

'It was just a case of when I was coming on, if there was that glimmer of hope and if I was able to contribute in any way, just making sure I was ready and able to take the opportunity.

'Then when I came on, the ball got played up to Darwin (Nunez) and I felt like I could make something happen.

'They'd done incredibly well to find me and it was a perfect pass for me to finish. Luckily we won the game and it was a real high point.'

In Elliott's mind, that night in Paris should have been a springboard for his season, even if it did not arrive until the start of March.

'Yes, I thought so,' he said. 'I thought PSG was a high for me, especially with a Premier League game (against Southampton) coming up a few days later.

'I thought maybe it was an opportunity for me to get a start and to showcase what I can do and just get a nice run out.'

What followed was a seat back on the bench.

Elliott only made two starts in the league all season, both of which arrived after Liverpool had clinched the title.

'The boss is the boss,' he added. 'He's the man in charge and he's the reason we've won the league, because of his decisions. His decision was not to start me.'

With that backdrop, this is now set to be an enormous summer for Elliott in more ways than one.

He will be one of the main men when England kick off their Under 21 title defence on Thursday, starting against the Czechs.

But it is also a summer when he must decide if he has no choice but to leave his beloved Liverpool to get a promising career back on track.