Harvey Elliott has declared himself ready to make the most of what he describes as a "second chance" at Liverpool, following a loan spell at Aston Villa that left him playing fewer than 280 minutes across the entire season.

Elliott moved to Villa last summer on a season-long loan. The arrangement included a clause obliging Unai Emery's side to purchase him permanently for £35m if he made 10 appearances — a threshold Villa chose not to reach. The midfielder featured in only nine matches and a total of 277 minutes before the club made clear they would not exercise the option, a situation Emery himself called "embarrassing for everyone involved."

"I wanted to go and explore something, come out of my comfort zone and do something I thought personally that would take me on as a player again," Elliott said. "But unfortunately it didn't work out."

Back at Anfield under new management

Elliott returned to Merseyside earlier than anticipated this summer and has already featured in both of Liverpool's pre-season fixtures under new manager Andoni Iraola. He was speaking after Liverpool defeated Wrexham 1-0 in a pre-season friendly in New York.

"Now I'm here and it's kind of a second chance, if you want to call it," Elliott said. "Especially with the gaffer and new coaching staff coming in, it's another chance to impress and hopefully get in their good books."

Despite the difficulties, Elliott — who was part of the Aston Villa squad that won the UEFA Europa League last season — holds no bitterness toward the club. "I wish Villa nothing but the very best. I had a lot of love for them and they treated me very well. Unfortunately, the situation happened but it's another learning curve."

A testing chapter, but not without reward

Elliott described the mental toll of the loan as significant. "Mentally, it was a very tough one," he said. "It was an opportunity for me to experience something new, as much as I didn't want to do it, and I don't wish it upon any other player, because it's not nice at all. But I have no hard feelings. I'm on the other side of it now."

The 23-year-old came through Fulham's academy and made his Premier League debut at 16 before signing for Liverpool in 2019. He played regularly under Jurgen Klopp, though his role diminished during Arne Slot's title-winning season in 2024-25, when he made 18 Premier League appearances before the Villa move.

Elliott arrives back at Liverpool in strong personal form. Last summer, he won Player of the Tournament as England's under-21 side claimed Euro 2025. Now, with a fresh managerial setup at the club, he is determined to earn his place — without committing to any longer-term plans just yet.

"Right now, I'm just thinking about making sure I'm physically and mentally 100%, and trying to impress on the pitch," he said. "I'm really happy to be back. Since the first day I walked through the door at training, I had a big beaming smile on my face. Playing at Liverpool, there's no better feeling."