'Brilliant moment for the kids at Liverpool': Steve McManaman lumps praise on Jarell Quansah for his thumping equaliser against Union SG... while also claiming it was a 'very strange goal to watch'

Steve McManaman has lauded Liverpool youngster Jarell Quansah after he scored an equaliser against Union SG in the Reds' Europa League clash in Belgium on Thursday night, claiming that it was a 'brilliant moment' for the defender. 

With Liverpool through to the knockout stages of the competition, Jurgen Klopp fielded a much younger starting eleven to play against Union SG on Thursday night, with Quansah starting alongside 20-year-old defender Conor Bradley and 19-year-old Luke Chambers. 

But the away side found themselves behind after 32 minutes of play, with Mohamed Amoura rounding Caoimhin Kelleher before tapping the ball into the back of the net. 

Despite that, the Reds soon hit back, with Quansah finding space inside the Union penalty area on a corner, before receiving the ball and thumping it into the back of the net. 

And McManaman lauded the defender for the effort, despite claiming it was a 'strange goal to watch'. 

'What a strange goal to watch visually, Konate goes for it, and both of them miss it and Jarell Quansah, who was in my opinion unfortunate that he had a goal ruled out against Toulouse,' he told TNT Sports. 

'Just controls it with one foot and smashes it in with his right foot. What a moment for the central-defender, brilliant strike, brilliant moment for the kids at Liverpool.'

But it was poor defending from the Union back-line, with their defenders being pulled out of position to allow the defender to take advantage of the space inside the area. 

'It was down-right disappointing from a team that’s top of the league,' McManaman added. 'They were too occupied with [Ibrahim] Konate than the little white thing that you have to kick around.'

Liverpool found themselves going behind in the game not long after, with Cameron Puertas burying an excellent strike into the bottom corner of the goal just before half-time, before the Swiss midfielder struck again to make it 3-1 after 60 minutes but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review for hand ball. 

McManaman also spoke on Klopp's decision to start several younger stars tonight, claiming that with Liverpool already through to the knockout stages of the competition, the bigger picture about tonight was helping the younger stars gain experience, while protecting other players from injuries.  

'European away game, in a hostile ground, it is very difficult – but the bigger picture is not about tonight he wants them to go out and give a good account of themselves,' Mcmanaman said. 

'But the preparation really is for Manchester united at the weekend and a quarter final of a cup game against west ham united when they’ve got a chance of getting to the final. 

'So the bigger picture is the weekend and not getting people injured tonight and trying to give people a rest.

'Liverpool have done the job in this competition up until now so you take it at face value of what it is – you want the kids to get experience but you also, in an ideal world, also want them to win well.