Kaide Gordon has spent another season in the wilderness in a disappointing turn of events for Liverpool, with the winger now out of favour at another club.
Gordon spent 19 months on the sidelines before making a gradual return to action for Liverpool last season, prompting the decision to send him out on loan.
But a move to Norwich did not make for a boost in fortunes, with the 20-year-old only making 10 appearances for the Championship side for a total of 177 minutes on the pitch.
After a mid-season recall Gordon was then sent to Portsmouth, but things have fared no better on the south coast with only four outings and 119 minutes of action since arriving in February.
He has not played at all since a 2-1 loss to Preston on mid-March, going unused in the last six games, and he has been left out of the squad entirely for the last three.
Portsmouth all but secured their place in the Championship for another season with a 1-0 win over Watford on Monday but John Mousinho opted for his regular wingers Matt Ritchie and Josh Murphy.
That should have come as no surprise even at the time of Gordon’s move to Fratton Park, with Ritchie, 35, and Murphy, 30, highly experienced forwards and already established as key players.
“At the minute, Matty is really impressing and Murph on the other wing as well,” Mousinho told The News earlier this month.
“Kaide wants to play more. If any of the players who aren’t playing are OK with their playing minutes then they are in the wrong spot and the wrong club. I don’t want any player to be happy with not playing.
“I don’t want any player to be happy with not playing and I don’t want any player to go into a football club and not have any competition.”
Mystery over Liverpool loan decision
Gordon’s lack of minutes for a struggling side may not be such a mystery then, particularly given he joined mid-season short of match sharpness.
The mystery is quite why the decision was taken to send him to Portsmouth knowing it was unlikely he would be given the game time he requires at this crucial stage in his career, now 20 and having missed such a long time due to injury.
Liverpool gave their No. 49 a new long-term contract just under a year ago but the chances of him breaking into Arne Slot‘s long-term plans at this point are slim.
It is a sad reality given the promise Gordon showed so soon after his arrival from Derby in 2021, making his first-team debut seven months in and becoming the club’s second-youngest goalscorer of all time in January 2022.
That was over three years ago now and a player who has grown considerably during his lengthy spells out should be looking to establish himself at senior level.
