"Harvey Elliott played one minute for Liverpool before his deadline day transfer to Aston Villa on loan in September -- an important minute that saw him start the move for Rio Ngumoha's dramatic stoppage-time winner in a 3-2 win at Newcastle on Aug. 25 -- but it is a minute that has turned the England midfielder's 2026 World Cup dream into a nightmare."
"The rule states: "Players may be registered with a maximum of three clubs during one season," but adds, "During this period, the player is only eligible to play official matches for two clubs." As a consequence, one of England's brightest young players finds himself trapped playing for a team that don't use him and he is unable to move to another."
"His loan move to Villa was supposed to guarantee him the first-team football that would establish himself as a Premier League regular and propel him into Thomas Tuchel's senior England squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup -- following the path laid by his fellow U21 teammates Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen) and Alex Scott (Bournemouth) this season."
Harvey Elliott featured for one minute for Liverpool before joining Aston Villa on loan, and that brief appearance helped set up a stoppage-time winner. FIFA Regulations (Article 5, paragraph 2) permit registration with three clubs but restrict official match appearances to two in a single season, leaving Elliott unable to play for a third club. Elliott is currently at a club that does not use him regularly and cannot move elsewhere this season. Elliott, 22, entered the season as U21 Player of the Tournament and made 18 appearances as Liverpool won the Premier League; the Villa loan aimed to secure regular first-team football and bolster his England 2026 chances.
Read at ESPN.com
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