former manager, speaks to the ECHO after the youngster agreed to a new contract with the Reds this week.
When Trent and Liverpool are mentioned in the same sentence, only one thing comes to mind: magic! But it’s not just Trent Alexander-Arnold who has people talking at the AXA Training Centre. Trent Kone-Doherty, 17, has been drawing attention as well.
The relatively unknown Irish youngster joined Liverpool from Derry City in July 2022 for a reported £175,000, excluding potential add-ons.
Kone-Doherty, who was previously known as the lad with the same name as a certain first-team player, signed his first professional contract with the Reds this week and is being hailed as one to watch. This comes as no surprise to those in the Irish football community who have long recognized his talent.
Kone-Doherty shone at Shantallow after beginning his career at Foyle Harps at the age of six, leading to a move to League of Ireland team Derry City at the age of 13. His game improved dramatically there, leading to a trial with Scottish giants Celtic in 2020.
Gerard Boyle, manager of Derry City u19s, worked with Kone-Doherty at the u17 level and cannot speak highly enough of the winger: “He was so coachable,” Boyle said.
“By the time he arrived at u17 level, he was already very proficient technically, which he owes to himself and previous coaches at Foyle Harps and Derry.”
“He took onboard tactical information really well and he would be very forthcoming with tactical solutions for some of the scenarios we used to question them on.”
These accomplishments did not go unnoticed, and he received his first Ireland underage call up in September 2021, when he scored a stunning free kick in a double header against Malta. Later that year, he went on to play for Ireland in the Victory Shield.
Kone-Doherty made his international debut in April 2022, when he was named Player of the Tournament at the Miljan Miljanic Tournament in Serbia, scoring three goals in two games and tearing defenses apart.
He continued to shine at club level, earning a spot in the Derry City first team at the age of 15 in 2022. He played in pre-season for the Candystripes that year as Liverpool and Celtic kept an eye on his development.
The general consensus was that Derry wouldn’t be around for long enough to play regularly for the first team. While Kone-Doherty appeared in a number of friendlies, he never played for the senior team. Derry knew they couldn’t keep a kid who had the entire world at his feet.
It was in July 2022 where his dream became a reality, leaving Derry for Merseyside to sign for Liverpool, and his former coach knows all too well the attributes that saw the Reds move for the speedy teenager.
He said: “Trent always possessed excellent close control and could manipulate the ball very well with both feet.
“He had incredible acceleration and deceleration. Trent enjoyed running at defenders with the ball and could glide by them before delivering a good pass or shooting.
“His attitude was first class, so well-mannered and so receptive to receiving information and advice. He was liked by all his teammates. He never stopped smiling.”
It didn’t take long for Kone-Doherty to settle at Liverpool, scoring a brace against Man Utd U18’s in his third game for club.
He soon started to become more than the Irish lad with the same name as TAA, scoring 16 and assisting four whilst featuring for the 18’s, 19’s and 21’s in the 22/23 season.
Unfortunately for the youngster, his season was cut short when he picked up a nasty injury playing for Ireland U17’s in March which ruled him out for almost five months. That meant missing the U17 European Championship as Ireland reached the quarter final, posing the question; how far could Ireland have gone if Kone-Doherty was involved?
His start to the 23/24 season has been just as impressive as his first year on Merseyside. In pre-season he returned home to Derry with his Liverpool team mates to play in the Super Cup NI where he was awarded Player of the Tournament.
And he has started the competitive U18 campaign with five goals in five games and two assists. Some of his finishes have been frightening and the improvement he’s made with his weaker left foot has been notable.
This season, Kone-Doherty has also scored for Liverpool’s U21 team. But the biggest step he’s taken so far has been to train with the first team ahead of the Merseyside derby.
“I always thought he had an X factor about him that would ensure he could impress at any level,” Boyle said of Kone-Doherty’s quick adaptation to life in Merseyside.
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