Contagious, confident — Lewis Koumas earns Liverpool role and Wales call-up

Lewis Koumas, the 21-year-old forward who has made five Liverpool appearances this season, has been named in Wales' Nations League squad for fixtures in Portugal, Denmark and Norway that begin in Lisbon on Thursday, 24 September. He has shown he has a place in Liverpool's plans after impressing during pre-season under new boss Andoni Iraola and early in the campaign.

Koumas caught Iraola's eye within a week of pre-season and, less than a month into the new season, has secured minutes that have made him an Anfield favourite. Wales manager Craig Bellamy said: "I feel he's going to be a really important player for us for a number of years," ahead of the Nations League programme that will see Koumas share an international stage with Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland. Wales and Liverpool legend Ian Rush is among the growing number impressed by the youngster.

His surname carries pedigree: Jason Koumas won 34 caps and scored 10 goals for Wales, and former Wales team-mate Danny Gabbidon recalls Jason as "a talented, talented player" who "could do a bit of everything; technically amazing, he could look after the ball, pass, score fantastic goals. He could just make things happen." Gabbidon conceded the elder Koumas could frustrate at times, saying: "He could be a bit lazy at times," and contrasted that with the younger Koumas's work-rate: "You wouldn't have seen Jason running around like Lewis the other night [for Liverpool against Tottenham] ."

Former Liverpool Under-21 head coach Barry Lewtas has described Lewis Koumas as "a coach's dream," citing his "effort, the will to learn and develop, how he applies himself." Koumas joined Liverpool as a child and was pushed from midfield into a forward role at 16, a change Lewtas called "an important part of his development, getting that exposure of playing deeper, dealing with the ball and the technical side." Lewtas added: "But then, when your skill-sets develop, you find the area that suits you best."

Jurgen Klopp handed Koumas his senior debut by 2024; he scored in the FA Cup against Southampton in February 2024 and was an unused substitute as Liverpool beat Chelsea to win the League Cup at Wembley. More than 900 days passed before his next first-team appearance, during which Koumas had three loan spells in the Championship. At Stoke City he worked under three different managers in one season and later played 25 times for Birmingham City in the first half of last season, though with only seven league starts, before moving to Hull City and playing an important role in the Tigers' promotion via the play-offs.

Koumas returned to Liverpool in the summer with renewed confidence and, despite expectations of another loan, Iraola retained him after a week of the club's pre-season trip to the United States. He has since made his Premier League debut, appeared in the Champions League and produced a relentless man-of-the-match performance against Tottenham that "enamoured him to the Anfield crowd," according to coverage. Theo Squires of the Liverpool Echo observed: "He's really matured since making his debut," while Lewtas said: "It's been brilliant to see," and added, "But it's not just a case of running about and working hard, it's his intelligence. He doesn't just understand what to do, but why he's doing it."

Internationally, Koumas has scored once in 12 Wales appearances and has been involved at under-21 level and senior level. Wales Under-21 head coach Matty Jones recalled telling Koumas in meetings to ensure England could not recruit him; Koumas told Jones: "I'll win you games," and delivered a match-winning, curling finish on his under-21 debut in 2025. Before senior friendlies last June Koumas said Wales fans had not seen "anything from me yet" and that he needed to "work harder and show a little bit more to get the trust of the gaffer," later scoring his first senior goal against Ghana. Bellamy said: "When he came on against Ghana, he changed it completely – and he's a player who's capable of that. "He's just coming into his own now and kicking on again – and to be the top player we expect him to be, that has to be the case."

Wales will begin their Nations League campaign against Portugal in Lisbon on Thursday, 24 September, a match that provides Koumas an immediate opportunity to press his case at international level during the forthcoming fixtures against Denmark and Norway.