Liverpool youngster joins Crawley Town on season-long loan

The 18-year-old attacking midfielder joined Liverpool as an under-11 from the Manchester City Academy.

Balagizi signed his first professional contract with the European giants in September 2020 at the age of 15. Balagizi immediately linked up with the under-18 squad and scored a brace on his debut despite being three years younger than most of his opponents.

As well as having a successful youth career for his club, Balagizi has also appeared on numerous occasions for the England youth teams. James was handed his Three Lions debut at the age of 15 by current Crawley manager Kevin Betsy. The attacking midfielder also linked up with Betsy at under-18 level.

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Having made over 50 appearances for Liverpool, this is Balagizi’s first loan move.

Speaking on Balagizi’s loan move, manager Kevin Betsy said: “We are really thankful to Liverpool for allowing James to join us on loan. He is an extremely talented young man who I have known for a very long time.

"He is highly thought of at Liverpool, so for them to send him to us and trust us with a real asset of theirs speaks volumes for the football club. James can be a box-to-box to midfielder with great athleticism and speed. He can also play a real defensive role at times, as he is really astute in his positioning.

"A real class act who I believe will show his quality once he gets on the pitch for us. This really is a fantastic signing for us as he already has a great pedigree and has played for his national side at such a young age.”

When asked about his move to the Reds, Balagizi said: “I am over the moon to sign here, and I feel like this is the right move for myself and my family. My relationship with Kevin is what brought me to the club as he was in my ear and telling me that I should join. However, after he spoke to me, I did some research on the club, and I really liked the project that they are building here.”

The club would like to extend their thanks to Liverpool for allowing James to join us on loan for this season.