Wrexham star James McClean has fired a message to Trent Kone-Doherty after the youngster made his Liverpool debut during Sunday's disappointing 1-0 defeat against Plymouth Argyle. Arne Slot's team crashed out the FA Cup at Home Park courtesy of a second-half penalty from Ryan Hardie.

It was a flat performance from the Reds, who made 10 changes from the starting XI that thrashed Tottenham 4-0 on Thursday night. And they paid the price after losing to the Championship strugglers.

While it was a frustrating afternoon at the office for Slot's men, a number of fringe players got the chance to get some much-needed game time. Several were unable to fully impress, but 18-year-old talent Kone-Doherty looked bright when he was introduced for his first ever Liverpool appearance.

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Kone-Doherty came on for Trey Nyoni for the final 14 minutes against Plymouth. The Republic of Ireland Under 19s international was used on the left wing and seemed fearless during his time on the pitch.

Slot might not have been pleased with his side's performance. However, he noted that the final moments - where Kone-Doherty caught the eye - were among his only positive takeaways from that fixture.

"The only thing I was happy about is that the boys kept on fighting for 100 minutes and, probably, the best part in our game were the last ten minutes," Slot said. Kone-Doherty's debut did not go unnoticed elsewhere, meanwhile.

Wrexham and Ireland ace McClean, who was born in the same town - Derry, Northern Ireland - as the Liverpool teenager, reacted to his cameo on social media. McClean took to Instagram as he reacted with a 'clapping hand' emoji on his story.

Derry City, Kone-Doherty's former club, also recognised his achievement. "Liverpool senior debut for Trent Kone-Doherty, the local lad and former City player! Congratulations, Trent!" alongside a clapping hand emoji.

Although Kone-Doherty could be offered more opportunities by Slot in the not-so-distant future, he's expected to return to the Under-21s to continue his development first and foremost. He has scored four times in 18 matches for the club's academy this season - including two goals in the UEFA Youth League.