Bobby Duncan, who turns 23 on Wednesday, controversially left Liverpool right before he seemed to be ready to break through into the first squad.
Bobby Duncan of Liverpool celebrates his goal during the FA Youth Cup Final at Manchester City (Image: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
It’s possible that you’ve used it.
However, Liverpool supporters may find a wealth of material on the website LFC History.
And it was during my most recent visit there that I discovered Bobby Duncan’s birthday is this Wednesday, June 26.
A player must not only possess extraordinary talent but also exhibit remarkable perseverance and determination to become a member of a Premier League first-team squad, particularly one as strong as Liverpool’s, after being selected from an FA Youth Cup-winning team.
Regretfully, because football is such a cutthroat sport, especially at the highest levels, players who, like Duncan, nearly break through the glass ceiling but are unable to play senior football for their team are frequently forgotten.
But Duncan, who turns 23 on Wednesday, is not like the others. And a lot of it has to do with what transpired right before it seemed like he was going to make his big break.
Having said that, being the cousin of Steven Gerrard guaranteed that his name would always be well-known. His reputation preceded him, as seen by the year he went unsigned after Manchester City withheld his registration, and the eventual completion of his £200,000 move to the Reds.
However, in those formative years, Duncan—who, like Gerrard, was raised in Huyton and born in Whiston—let his football do the talking. A record-breaking scorer for Huyton Schoolboys and Cardinal Heenan High School, he had a tremendously successful debut season with the team he had always supported.
In the 2018–19 season, Duncan and Paul Glatzel scored nearly 60 goals between them. However, it was Duncan’s late strike against his old team, Man City, in the FA Youth Cup final that forced extra time and, in the end, penalties, which Liverpool won 5–3.
Then, in July 2019, he entered the game and scored in Jurgen Klopp’s first team’s 6-0 preseason friendly victory over Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park. This was the team’s first game back since winning the Champions League final in Madrid.
Bobby Duncan celebrates scoring against Tranmere Rovers in pre-season (Image: James Maloney/Liverpool Echo)
Duncan could see the future gleaming. But all of it was darkened in less than a month.
In August of 2019, Duncan’s former agent Saif Rubie published a controversial tweet detailing a number of allegations against the team and then-sporting director Michael Edwards. For a short while, the player himself approved the bombshell tweet.
The Reds were allegedly detaining Duncan against his will, he would never play for the team again, and the abuse was causing the then-teenager to experience mental health issues.
“Liverpool Football Club is aware of and disappointed by the unattributed comments and unfounded allegations that have been made in the media regarding one of our players,” Liverpool said in a statement.
“We will not be providing any additional comments as we believe that erroneous rumours, provocative remarks, or public debate are not in the best interests of the concerned player.
“We will, however, continue our efforts to work privately with the player to find resolution in the best interests of all involved.”
Duncan signed a £1.8 million contract with Fiorentina by the next month. However, his time in Italy was short-lived, as he returned to England in less than a year to sign for Derby County. He did, however, only play in one senior game for the Rams before signing a contract to play for Linense in the third division in the summer of 2022 and leaving for Spain. According to records, the England youth international is currently a free agent and that was his last club.
When Duncan left his beloved Liverpool, he opened up on Twitter about it while he was still at Linense.
Rubie, the forward’s former agent at the time, asserted on talkSPORT that he truly counselled Duncan to stay with the Reds rather than pressuring him to go. The athlete would deny these allegations on Twitter.
I know the truth, and you do too,” Duncan wrote in September 2022. “I had neither a say nor a decision.
“I haven’t spoken about this topic once in the last ‘4 years,’ because getting my career back on track has taken precedence.” However, you still believe that mentioning my name on a live radio programme is OK.
“When the time is appropriate, I will reveal the truth. Finally, just to be clear, no advice was given because you publicly announced your decision at that very moment. And the harm was already done by then.
Several of the players who lined up alongside and against Duncan in the 2019 FA Youth Cup final at the Etihad Campus—Cole Palmer, Jeremie Frimpong, Eric Garcia, Felix Nmecha, Neco Williams, Leighton Clarkson, Rhys Williams, and others—have gone on to establish successful senior football careers, which is disheartening.
Duncan was arguably as good as any of them at the time. And you can’t help but wonder what may have been as he approaches 23. However, as Duncan correctly stated over two years ago, he will speak the truth when he believes the moment is appropriate.
