United reject handed Liverpool chance

Welsh teenager Ramon Calliste has begun a trial at Liverpool after being released by Manchester United.

The 19-year-old striker was freed by United at the start of the summer, but he scored on his debut for Liverpool’s reserves last night.

Cardiff-born Calliste, a Wales Under-21 international, found himself with no future at Old Trafford when United scrapped one of their two reserve teams.

He turned down a move to Colchester last month after scoring four goals while on trial with the Essex club, and now the chance has arisen to earn himself a contract with the European champions.

He scored Liverpool’s second goal in a 2-2 draw with Newcastle at Wrexham, as a member of a side which included Djimi Traore, Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Salif Diao.

Wales Under-21 boss Brian Flynn said: “It’s a great opportunity for him and I am pleased he did well and scored. It was a shock for him when United let him go, but it was more to do with them cutting one of their two reserve sides than anything else.”

Calliste has been left out of Flynn’s recent squads while he searches for a club.

Suspension forcibly keeps him out of the UEFA Under-21 Championship clash with England on September 2 at Wrexham.

But he is on stand-by for the trip to Poland the following week and is almost certain now to be called into the squad for that match.

Calliste was brought up in Cardiff, but moved with his family to the north west or England when United took him into their academy.