Harry Wilson will take on the burden of Wales’ Euro qualification hopes with the confidence that comes from a Jurgen Klopp thumbs up.
Wilson says the Liverpool manager has played a big part in his impressive Bournemouth form by boosting his belief with text messages.
The Wales forward is on a season-long loan from Liverpool and scored his fourth goal for the Cherries at Newcastle last weekend.
Wilson would win his 16th cap by playing in the crunch Euro 2020 qualifier against Azerbaijan in Baku on Saturday.
Wales need to win their final two qualifiers, in Azerbaijan and at home to Hungary on Tuesday, to keep alive hopes of automatic qualification for next summer’s European Championship finals.
Wilson, 22, has been a Bournemouth regular as Eddie Howe’s side have climbed into the top half of the Premier League, and says Klopp has had time to keep track on him despite overseeing leaders Liverpool’s unbeaten start to the season.
“I am always in touch with Liverpool – they have a loan guy there who I am in contact with every week, and I get the odd message off the manager,” said Wilson.
“He says he has been watching and after I scored against Man City he congratulated me on the goal. He messaged and said ‘great free-kick!’
“It gives you a boost to see that, and it is great he is keeping an eye on me.
“It is good to know when you go out on loan you are not forgotten about.
“I’m still in contact with a few of the lads and if I can get to a game I always will.
“To see Liverpool win the Premier League would be fantastic being a Liverpool fan. But to get to the Euros with Wales would be just as special.”
And having experienced Euro 2016, when Wales reached the semi-finals, as a supporter, Wilson is keen to sample the tournament as a player this time.
“It would mean everything to get there,” he added. “When I was stood there in the crowd in France, I wanted to be a part of that as a player.
“Now I have an opportunity to do that, and I am desperate to make sure we get over the line.
“We know we have to win both games, but we’re confident we can do it if we execute our game-plan.”
Azerbaijan are bottom of Group E with only one point from six games.
But Wales had to rely on a late Gareth Bale header to beat them 2-1 in Cardiff in September.
“Azerbaijan made it a lot tougher for us at home than we thought, so we are definitely going to show them respect.
They were well organised defensively and good on the break. We know what they are good at and where we can hurt them.
“But they will be wary of us the way we have played the last two games.”
