Last September, Elliott suffered a broken leg three days before what would have been his first Champions League appearance. 

Five months on, he made his bow in the competition in a football cathedral. So much for gradually easing young players into the elite club event. Elliott was sent into a vibrant San Siro alongside Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara while senior midfielders Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Curtis Jones watched on. What a responsibility for the player. What a statement by his manager. 

“When you are 18 and you play against one of the most experienced teams – and they are Italian – then it is not the easiest job in the world, but he did very well.”

It made for a tough introduction. There was no escaping how Liverpool can thank Uefa’s five subs rule for assisting their victory. The course of the evening changed when the midfield cavalry arrived as Elliott departed on 59 minutes, skipper Jordan Henderson, Keita and Luis Diaz providing the fresh legs to give Liverpool superiority. 

“We all know Harvey can play so much better,” Klopp added. “He played in the spaces and the half spaces around the middle three. He did the job and worked incredibly hard.” 

Nevertheless, Elliott’s development can only have been accelerated by such an experience.  

It’s not the first time Klopp has demonstrated such trust in a precocious youngster. Starting Elliott on Wednesday night put one in mind of him acquainting Trent Alexander-Arnold with Premier League football against Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2016. And earlier this season Elliott was preferred to Thiago against Chelsea. This felt a different level of confidence. Had Henderson been fit to start in Italy, it is no guarantee it would have been at Elliott’s expense.

Elliott leapfrogs some others because his playing style is the embodiment of Klopp – enthusiastically seeking joy from every second. His passing is crisp and purposeful; his positional sense mature beyond his years. 

His evolution under Klopp has been rapid. The next stage must be the occasional selfishness in the final third. His best moment was an instant pass on the turn to find Salah free in the penalty area in the first half, Elliott seeing the full picture before receiving possession.

A minute later he tried the same when he could and probably should have opted to work himself a shooting opportunity. The hesitancy was symptomatic of both teams’ general performance until Liverpool’s late surge – the threat greater than the end product before Firmino’s header from Andy Robertson’s corner. 

Within seconds of his Salah pass, Elliott was tracking back to smother an Inter counter-attack. This is why Klopp has so much faith in him, the tactical responsibilities absorbed in such a way to defy inexperience.

Some seasoned Anfield goers see a touch of Kevin Keegan in Elliott: a mini menace, always demanding the ball, refusing to let the game pass by without being proactive. The comparison may extend to the manner in which Klopp has an almost paternal approach to Elliott, like Bill Shankly did Keegan. When such players are told they will be required for a shift in the lion’s den, their first question is: ‘From which positions would you like me to attack?’

Monitoring Elliott’s contribution from afar will have been England coach Gareth Southgate, assessing the right moment to promote the Liverpool man from under-21 duty. There is a balance to strike, Southgate with an eye on the World Cup in Qatar, enthused another young English player has been introduced to the biggest stage. It is extraordinary to note this was only Elliott’s 16th Liverpool appearance. 

As Liverpool look set to go ever deeper into the Champions League, the sub-plot of their campaign may be Elliott’s coming-of-age drama.