The Belgian midfielder was handed a start by Enzo Maresca on Merseyside, replacing Enzo Fernandez and partnering Moises Caicedo in the centre of the park.

Lavia impressed in his cameo, with the former Southampton man featuring for just under an hour, but ultimately couldn’t help his side turn an impressive display into points as Liverpool ran out 2-1 winners thanks to goals from Mo Salah and Curtis Jones either side of a Nicolas Jackson strike.

‘I think we played a very good game overall,’ Lavia said when reflecting post-match.

‘Whether we deserved more, that’s difficult for me to say but I thought we created a lot of chances and controlled the game in large spells.

‘Did we deserve more? For me, probably yes but that’s just my initial thoughts and we should still take heart from our performance.

‘Coming to Anfield and playing such a strong side, you know that there will be times where we lose transitions and they can counter but I felt we dealt well with their threat on the whole and we created a number of opportunities of our own.

‘We knew we were playing a really strong side and unfortunately they came out on top but I think there are a lot of positives we can take from this game to take for the rest of the season.’

The midfielder confirmed that it was a decision for him and Reece James – another returning Blue – to feature for 45 minutes to an hour and Lavia spoke of his delight at returning to the pitch, despite being left frustrated by the result.

‘Of course, I’m very happy with the minutes I got and it’s pleasing to be back in action and helping the team,’ added Romeo.

‘I’m a competitor though and I want to win, so I’m disappointed with the result. It’s a day of mixed feelings really.

‘The manager made the decision to manage my minutes and bring me off before the hour. Of course, I want to play every minute but it’s a decision he made that he felt was best for me and best for the time and I’m happy with that.’