Liverpool news: Andoni Iraola explains why Lewis Koumas stayed after just one pre-season week

Lewis Koumas has quickly established himself as a genuine Liverpool first-team option under Andoni Iraola, who revealed that he had already decided after just one week of pre-season that the 20-year-old would remain with the senior squad for the entire campaign.

Koumas strengthened his case further in Liverpool’s 3-1 EFL Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.

The Wales international did not score or provide an assist, but his intensity and work rate made him one of the standout performers and earned him the man-of-the-match award.

For Iraola, however, the performance merely confirmed an impression he had formed much earlier.

“I told the club that he would stay for the whole season,” the Liverpool boss said.

That decision represented a significant change in Koumas’s status after several seasons spent gaining experience away from Anfield.

Koumas has been part of Liverpool’s academy system since 2016, having joined the club at the age of 11.

His pathway to the senior side has included three separate loan spells, with the forward spending time at Stoke City, Birmingham City and Hull City.

A further departure was therefore a realistic possibility heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

Iraola’s arrival changed that picture almost immediately.

The Spanish coach was particularly impressed by Koumas’s ability to perform several different attacking roles.

“He covers us as a number seven, as a number nine, number 10 and number 11,” Iraola explained.

“He trains very well, has a great attitude, he is a good player and he scores goals.”

That versatility has already been visible this season.

Koumas made his Premier League appearance against Newcastle United from the left wing before being used on the opposite flank against Ipswich Town.

He has also operated centrally, including as a striker in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid and again in the cup victory over Tottenham.

For Iraola, though, positional flexibility is only part of the attraction.

The Liverpool manager has also highlighted Koumas’s intensity and unselfish approach, explaining that the youngster’s energy can “infect” the rest of the team.

Koumas himself believes that attitude is closely linked to his connection with the club.

“I think that is the type of player I am,” he told Liverpool’s official website.

“I know what it means to play for Liverpool. When I am on the pitch, I am going to try to give everything all of the time.”

Iraola has also pointed to Koumas’s senior experience as one reason why he believes the forward is ready to contribute now rather than simply remain a long-term development project.

Koumas spent the 2024-25 campaign with Stoke, recording six goals and three assists across 49 appearances.

He scored once in 25 outings for Birmingham before later joining Hull, where he contributed three goals in 19 appearances as the club secured promotion to the Premier League.

Those numbers were not spectacular, but the experience of playing regular Championship football exposed Koumas to a more physical and demanding senior environment.

“He needs to improve some things, like every young player, but he already has experience,” the Liverpool boss said.

“I see him as ready to help us. I like what he gives us.”

The early evidence suggests that Iraola intends to make use of that versatility rather than simply keep Koumas on the fringes of the squad.

He has already been included firmly in Iraola’s first-team plans, featuring in the Premier League, Champions League and EFL Cup and taking on several different positions depending on Liverpool’s needs.

The Tottenham performance was therefore less a breakthrough than confirmation of the decision Iraola made during his first days working with the youngster.

Koumas still faces considerable competition for attacking minutes and has plenty of development ahead of him.

But one question surrounding his immediate future has already been answered.

After years of loans away from Anfield, Liverpool now view Koumas as a player capable of contributing directly to Iraola’s first team.

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