Just over three years ago, Kaide Gordon was entrusted to start by then Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in the 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg victory at Arsenal. It would be another 693 days until his next first-team appearance - at Union Saint-Gilloise on matchday six in the Europa League group stage last season.

On transfer deadline day this week, the 20-year-old completed his second loan move of the campaign to another Championship outfit in Portsmouth.

So what happened to a youngster who, when he joined Liverpool from Derby County for £3m at the age of just 16 in 2021, inspired such hype?

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Gordon made his Reds first-team debut in the 3-0 Carabao Cup third-round tie victory at Norwich City on September 21, 2021, playing the full game.

Writing before the match, then Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders had praised Gordon, which would be revealed in his book Intensity: Our Identity at the end of the season.

Lijnders said: “Not many talents have this desire to shoot and come in the box to score. He is a typical Liverpool Football Club winger in my opinion because he has goals, he has speed.”

The 4-3–3 formation, with the two inverted forwards in the three-pronged attack, allowed Gordon to cut inside on to his left foot from the right side.

And in his second appearance, Liverpool trailed Shrewsbury Town at home in the FA Cup third round in the 27th minute.

Starting in a young XI, Gordon was the main goal threat and duly restored parity, equalising in front of the Kop end seven minutes later.

Aged 17 years and 19 days, he became the club's second youngest goalscorer in all competitions - behind Ben Woodburn - and their youngest in the FA Cup.

The following weekend, Gordon made his Premier League debut as a substitute for Diogo Jota as Liverpool scored three without reply at home to Brentford.

His final appearance in his breakout season came four days later at the Emirates Stadium before he endured injury hell, missing the whole of 2022/23.

Similar to Stefan Bajcetic, Gordon was diagnosed with adolescent musculoskeletal issues, or simply, growing pains.

Back in December of 2022, Ljinders added: “I hope we can see him back, without putting pressure on the boy.

“Just to tell him as well that we didn’t forget him. Even when new boys are coming up and making big steps, we never will forget the ‘old’ young ones.”

Returning after 19 months out, Gordon came on late on in a 4-0 Premier League win at Bournemouth and then in a 3-0 FA Cup home victory over Southampton, in which teenagers Lewis Koumas and Jayden Danns - two of the 'new boys' Ljinders had spoken about - shared the goals.

On the US pre-season tour last summer, of his aims Gordon said: “Just get minutes, to be honest, wherever it is. Just hopefully get minutes.”

In need of first-team football, he joined Norwich on a season-long loan on transfer deadline day in August.

However, he made just 10 appearances for the Canaries, starting once, leading Liverpool to recall him from his loan.

After his departure, Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup still praised Gordon despite his ultimately unsuccessful short loan spell: “A great player, a great person and I think he loved to be here.

“He was great around the team, I think I can speak on behalf of some of the players to say he was a great friend to some of them. We wish him all the best.”

Whether Gordon, who signed a new long-term contract last May, will 'make it' at Liverpool and deliver on the potential he first showed remains to be seen.

For now, he will hope to get game time at Portsmouth who, three points off the drop, he will help to try and stay up.