He'll return to Melwood this week with a medal round his neck, a Golden Boot in his kitbag and a smile wider than the Mersey Tunnel.

But for Rhian Brewster , the hard work starts right here, right now.

What a few weeks it has been for Liverpool's young goalscorer. Memories that will last a lifetime, moments that will never be forgotten. A World Cup winner at 17.

Liverpool have four of them now, Brewster joining Dom Solanke, Sheyi Ojo and Ovie Ejaria – members of England's successful U20 side from the summer.

Throw in Ben Woodburn, already shining on the senior international stage, Trent Alexander-Arnold, a first-teamer at 18 and the likes of Harry Wilson, Ryan Kent and the highly-rated Curtis Jones, and you can see why Academy staff speak with such confidence.

The Kirkby talent pool is deep, and is getting deeper.

But while achievements such as Brewster's should be celebrated – with Coca-Cola or Fanta only, according to Klopp – the nature of youth development, and of modern football, dictates that it is what comes next which REALLY matters. Standing still in this game takes you backwards, and quickly.

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This is an impatient industry, where money talks and success, instant success, matters. The ideal would be for young players to be given both chances and patience, but the reality, where jobs are on the line on a weekly basis, is often different. Only the most special of teenagers find their home in a Premier League starting XI.

If you want an idea of how difficult it is for a young player to break into a Premier League team, consider this: of the 23-man squad which won England the U20 World Cup back in June, only four have started a top-flight game this season.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jonjoe Kenny, of Everton, and Bournemouth's Lewis Cook did so this weekend – though Solanke came off the bench for the final nine minutes as Liverpool beat Huddersfield.

These are elite young talents, proven at youth level and with hunger and a winning mentality to offer. And still they're finding it hard to break in for now.

Some, such as Ojo, or Josh Onomah or Kieran Dowell, have stepped down to the Championship to gather game time and experience on loan – a pathway which has plenty going for it, and should be explored by more players. The sanitised, homogenised Premier League 2 is no substitute for league football, despite what its supporters will say. Adult football develops players, even if they don't always notice at the time. It's why Liverpool are planning to send a whole batch of players out in January.

(Image: Jan Kruger - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Others – Solanke, Kenny, Ademola Lookman, Kyle Walker-Peters – are sticking around the fringes of their club, hoping to seize any chance that comes their way. They are training with stars on a daily basis, looking to play their way into their manager's plans.

Brewster, along with a couple of others from that U17 squad, looks well set to join that pile.

Klopp on the development of Rhian Brewster

Academy staff rave about the Londoner's personality, his ability to listen and take on board information, and the positive impact he has on any team he plays in. They see improvements in his physicality, his touch and his movement in every training session.

Youth coaches don't like to talk about 'sure things', but he is considered as close as possible to one. Just like Woodburn and Alexander-Arnold.

“We have to create the circumstances when these boys can make the next step,” Klopp said this weekend. “Not too early, not too late, in the right moment.

“They are the future of English football and that’s fantastic.”

For him, and for Liverpool, that means creating a winning team, that can house and allow for young players making their way in the game.

Klopp said last week that he “100 per cent” believed he would be at the club to see these youngsters develop into regulars, and he has shown in his two years on Merseyside that he is prepared to offer them opportunities to prove they belong; 11 Academy players have made their Liverpool debut since his appointment - all speak with reverence about his impact and man management skills.

In that sense, it is over to the players now. Like Woodburn and Alexander-Arnold, Brewster's rise has been rapid, and shows little sign of slowing. He is the next cab off the Kirkby rank, so to speak. He will return to the club this week with his chest out, ready to take the next step – though that will be with the U23s or in the UEFA Youth League for the time being. Woodburn's is the lead to follow, in that regard.

He will also return as a marked man, a player with a reputation and a future, who will attract attention and scrutiny. The work of Alex Inglethorpe, Steven Gerrard, Neil Critchley and co will be vital in keeping his mind on the task ahead. Because it's a big one.

If you want reminding of how hard it is to transfer youth level success to the senior stage, consider the names to have lifted the Golden Ball or Golden Boot at the U17 World Cup. For every Cesc Fabregas or Toni Kroos there's a Macauley Chrisantus or a Danny Allsopp.

Or a Florent Sinama-Pongolle, the star of the 2001 tournament, and a player whose potential at Anfield went unfulfilled.

Brewster will hope to avoid the same fate. Hhas already taken on the world, but conquering Liverpool will be an even bigger ask. Good luck, young 'un.