Liverpool youngster secures permanent transfer exit 5 years after first-team debut
Liverpool has confirmed that midfielder Tom Hill has left the club, with the 22-year-old making a permanent transfer exit after nearly 17 years with the club.
Hill has joined League Two side Harrogate Town, where he has signed an 18-month contract. The Yorkshire club is currently sat in 17th in the division, with Hill joining in time for their game against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.
Hill had been at Liverpool since joining at under-six level. He would go on to work his way through the ranks at Anfield, although he would make just one senior appearance for the club.
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That came back in late 2019, just over five years ago, in a 5-0 defeat to Aston Villa in the League Cup. Hill featured in what was Liverpool’s second-youngest side ever, with the senior team away in Qatar for the Club World Cup.
Hill was unable to force his way back into the senior ranks under Jurgen Klopp or Arne Slot thereafter, with a season-ending ACL injury in 2020 severely limiting his progress.
His permanent exit was confirmed by Liverpool on Wednesday, with the club posting the message: “Everyone at LFC wishes Tom the best of luck for the future.”
Speaking about Hill’s signing, Harrogate’s head of recruitment Lloyd Kelly told the League Two club’s website: “We’ve watched him quite a few times this season and he’s always stood out, he’s what we look for in a player and we think it’ll be a really good fit for us.”
Hill becomes the latest player to leave Liverpool during the January transfer window. Goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga made the permanent move back to Brazilian club Fluminense at the start of the month, while Calvin Ramsay completed a loan move to Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock last week, having returned to the Reds from a Wigan Athletic earlier in the month.
Liverpool.com says: It's a shame Hill wasn't able to kick on after that senior appearance in 2019, with that ACL injury a year later a huge blow for him. He can nevertheless hold his head up high at having made it so far at the club, and hopefully he now goes on to enjoy some success at Harrogate.
