Liverpool youngster Owen Beck appreciates the help his great-uncle Ian Rush has given him on his Anfield journey.
Wales great Rush, Liverpool’s all-time top scorer with 346 goals and an ambassador of the Premier League club, is the brother of Beck’s grandmother Carole.
Beck, 19, who played for Liverpool during pre-season, now hopes to emulate Rush by establishing himself for club and country.
“As soon as I started playing football he’s given me advice and I speak to him a lot,” left-back Beck said of his relationship with Rush while on Wales Under-21 duty this week.
“He’s done it himself and he knows what to say. It’s definitely helped me on my journey.
“He was a striker and I’m a full-back, so position-wise it’s different, but the advice he gives more is more mentally.
“His main advice is working hard and never giving up. You need to be concentrated every day training alongside the best players.”
Beck started out at Stoke before his boyhood club snapped him up at the age of 13 and he signed his first professional contract in the summer of 2020.
Well done @Owenbeck02 always proud of you👌🙏 @LFCpic.twitter.com/xH5AWvcaDt— Ian Rush MBE (@Ian_Rush9) January 6, 2021
After spending last season in the Reds’ under-23 squad, the Flint product’s progress was rewarded with a five-year contract in July and a place in Liverpool’s pre-season plans.
Beck had game-time in Austrian and French training camp friendlies and then featured against Spanish pair Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna at Anfield.
“It was a proud moment, to get as many minutes as I did I was very happy with,” Beck said.
“The games at Anfield were one of the first with the fans back in and it was a great experience in front of them.
Congratulations, Owen 👏🔴— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 12, 2021
“One of them was even on my birthday, but I don’t think the manager (Jurgen Klopp) knew that until after the game.
“I enjoyed playing alongside the likes of Virgil Van Dijk and it’s great to train with Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas.
“They are world-class full-backs and just to take bits out of their game into mine is going to make me a better player.
“You’ve got big expectations to live up to nowadays and the modern-day full-back has to get forward as well as defend.”
Beck’s next test is for Wales Under-21s in Bulgaria on Tuesday.
Wales were held at home by Moldova in their opening 2023 UEFA European U21 Championship qualifier in June.
“We need to be on it all week,” Beck said.
“We have to get everything right to get the three points.”
