HE HASN’T PLAYED a competitive club game since the final day of the 2013-14 season so Liverpool fans will be pleased to learn that Jon Flanagan was back in the red shirt this afternoon.

Flanagan has been sidelined with a knee injury for most of the last 19 months, during which he managed just two appearances — a friendly against Brondby in July 2014 and a charity game back in March.

The 22-year-old defender, who was capped once by England, returned to full training earlier this month and played for Liverpool’s U21s in a friendly today against Fleetwood Town at the Kirkby Academy.

Flanagan started the game before being substituted after half an hour, but according to Liverpool Echo reporter James Pearce, “easing him back in gently was always the plan”.

HT 0-0 LFC under 21s v Fleetwood. Flanagan got through half an hour on his comeback from injury #LFC pic.twitter.com/7nwez3Iwul — James Pearce (@JamesPearceEcho) December 29, 2015 Source: James Pearce /Twitter

Flanagan signed a new one-year contract with Liverpool back in May, so he’ll be keen to prove to manager Jurgen Klopp between now and the end of the season that he’s worthy of an extended deal.