Liverpool U23 boss, Neil Critchley has sung the praises of winger Bobby Adekanye, dubbed the 'Nigerian Messi' in these parts, following his brilliant form since the season started.

The Ibadan-born starlet has netted in each of his first two games in the UEFA Youth League and against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League 2.

The 19-year-old Adekanye is struggling to recover from an ankle injury he suffered against Napoli and is a big doubt to suit up for the Reds U23 side when they tackle Derby County this afternoon.

''Bobby has been fantastic for us this season and has been a real threat in every game. I think he has improved massively since he has been at the club,'' Critchley said to Liverpool's official website.

''He is brilliant to work with and he has had plenty of downs but he’s been on an up so far this season.

''We missed him in our last game in the cup at West Bromwich Albion.

''He’s still got a bit of an ankle issue which saw him come off against Napoli, which was unfortunate for him after scoring our goal, so he might not be ready for the game against Derby County on Sunday, which would be a big blow for him and for us.''

Adekanye joined Liverpool from Barcelona in the summer of 2015 and has yet to make his first team debut for the Premier League team.

Igho Kingsley