Few things are more satisfying for young footballers than immediately hitting the ground running upon their invitation to a team.

This was the case for Liverpool's 16-year-old sensation Josh Abe, who found the net on his debut for England's U-17 team against Montenegro.

The youngster had been sidelined for over two months following shoulder surgery, but needed no time to prove his readiness to make an immediate impact in his age group.

He is regarded very highly at his club, and he showed why in his cameo appearance for his national team.

The dream comeback: Finding the net minutes into England U-17 action

Josh Abe has yet to appear in club football this season due to his injury, but that did not stop him from receiving a call-up to the national team immediately he returned to full fitness.

He had been watching on from the bench as Chelsea's Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli and Manchester City's Xavier Parker grabbed the headlines.

Despite his lack of match fitness, former Liverpool U-21 coach Barry Lewtas called on the young Abe to come off the bench in the second half of the clash against Montenegro, and the winger made sure to leave an instant impression.

He needed only minutes to make his mark in Montenegro, demonstrating his trademark sharp movement and clinical composure, and he tucked away England's fifth goal in the 64th minute.

In the hugely talented side captained by Chelsea's Reggie Watson, Abe made sure to make his mark after Nicoll-Jazuli scored a hat-trick and Parker netted twice.

Liverpool starlet set for big future

Abe is regarded as one of the best youngsters in Liverpool's youth set-up, and he was part of their pre-season squad under Andoni Iraola in the summer.

The teenager made two appearances during their tour of the United States before his shoulder injury, which required him to go under the knife.

Throughout his two-month rehabilitation at Kirkby, Abe focused relentlessly on regaining his physical conditioning.

Back in June 2026, the Reds successfully fended off lucrative offers worth upwards of £50,000 a week from rival Premier League clubs to tie the 16-year-old down to a scholarship deal.

The club will be delighted with his return to action, as he has shown that the injury did not slow him down in any way.

The U-17s have further European Championship qualifiers against Poland and Ukraine before the international window ends, and he will hope to get more minutes in his legs.

With fixtures against Stoke City U-18s (November 21) and a potential UEFA Youth League outing against Club Brugge (November 25) on the horizon, Abe could get to play a lot of football in the coming weeks.

The youngster is a left-footed right winger, a rare profile in Iraola's squad, and combines explosive acceleration, physical strength beyond his years, and an eye for goal to make him a fine player.

Liverpool will hope to platform him like they did Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni, and he could soon be a regular in Iraola's squad.