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Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard has criticised his former club for approving the £17 million sale of Neco Williams, calling the decision to let him go an obvious mistake. The Wales international was one of Nottingham Forest’s best players as they held the Reds to a 2-2 draw at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

Gerrard rues Williams’ exit

Gerrard was unsparing in his verdict on Liverpool’s transfer dealings after watching Williams play a major role in helping Nottingham Forest earn a hard-fought point on Merseyside. The former Anfield skipper, speaking as a pundit for TNT Sports, said he was deeply frustrated that a player he had once guided in the youth set-up was allowed to leave so readily in 2022.

Looking back at the Welshman’s influence on the game, Gerrard was full of praise for the 23-year-old, who won the penalty that Morgan Gibbs-White scored to put Forest in front before Victor Munoz’s goal brought Liverpool level again.

“Neco’s been great for Forest, I think Forest has been great for him. It’s a good match,” Gerrard said. “The fans love them. He’s committed, he’s excellent out of possession, he’s physical. And he’s playing out of position at the moment.

“You’ve got to remember he’s a right-back or a right-wing-back and he’s doing a fantastic job for the team on the left. Over the course of the season, he can cover both sides. So I think from a manager’s point of view you certainly wouldn’t want to lose him.”

Unlocking Williams’ real potential

Gerrard, who worked closely with Williams during his spell as a coach in Liverpool’s academy, feels the defender is still some way from his ceiling. Although he made only 13 Premier League appearances for the Reds before his £17m move to the City Ground in 2022, his former coach insisted that his professionalism had always been of the highest standard.

“This is a player that trains the way he plays,” Gerrard added. “He comes in every morning; he does everything right; he’s very professional; he’s a winner. He’s very aggressive, he’s a competitor, and we already knew he’d got the talent. If you put everything around your talent, you can play at this level and you can stay at this level.

“And I still think he hasn’t hit his ceiling yet; I still think he’s at an age where he can go to the next level with experience and time and more games.”

The right-back problem at Anfield

The timing of Williams’ progress at Forest is especially frustrating for Liverpool supporters after the huge departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid last summer. With the England international no longer at the club, right-back has become an obvious weak area for manager Andoni Iraola, who is still searching for his first win since taking charge.

Gerrard continued his assessment, saying: “He’s playing out of position; he’s doing an incredible job on the left side. Can you imagine what he’d be like if he played on the right side? For me, he’s a fantastic full-back and - I’m not just saying it and I apologise to the Forest fans - Liverpool should have kept him, that’s for sure.”

Reds may have to enter the market?

With Conor Bradley currently out injured, Liverpool’s options at full-back are starting to look worryingly light for a side with title ambitions. The attempt to use Dominik Szoboszlai in a deeper defensive role has produced mixed results, prompting Gerrard to suggest that a move in the next transfer window may be the only realistic answer to correct the imbalance.

“I am worried on the right side,” Gerrard added after the game. “I think the evidence of that is when you’ve got to put arguably your best player, Szoboszlai, at right back again. You saw that too many times last season.

“The injury to Conor Bradley is hurting Liverpool, he’s their best right-back. Obviously, Trent moving on, we’ve spoken about that on numerous occasions. It wouldn’t surprise me if we try to do something in that position.”