One to watch! Highly rated Liverpool youngster reveals South African eligibility

by Devesh Jaganath

image One to watch! Highly rated Liverpool youngster reveals South African eligibility
Liverpool’s under-21 defender Carter Pinnington has revealed that he is eligible to represent South Africa on the global stage through his family ties. The 19-year-old centre-back’s father was born and raised in Mzansi, which allows him to play for Bafana Bafana thanks to FIFA’s eligibility rules.
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Pinnington reveals South African connection 

Carter Pinnington is one of Liverpool’s brightest prospects, having joined the club at the age of seven and worked his way through the academy structure before signing his first professional contract with the Reds in May 2024. 

The 19-year-old centre-back is currently a part of the team’s under-21 team and is believed to be seen as a long-term option for the senior side. In the past, he has also operated in a defensive midfield role and has claimed that Virgil van Dijk is his footballing idol. 

In the 2025-26 season, Pinnington made a major breakthrough in his career, as he earned a call-up to the senior squad by Arne Slot in October 2025 for a Carabao Cup fixture against Crystal Palace, which was another step forward in his development. 

Although the teenager is widely tipped to one day represent the Three Lions on the global stage, having already done so at the U15, U16 and U18 levels, he made a surprising revelation in a recent interview, confirming that he is also eligible to represent South Africa. 

Pinnington’s father, Steuart, was born and raised in South Africa and is a well-known author and speaker, as well as the founder of “South Africa: The Good News,” a platform dedicated to highlighting positive developments and progress across Mzansi. 

Under FIFA eligibility regulations, Carter is able to represent more than one nation due to his father’s South African birth. This makes him part of the pool of overseas-based players currently being tracked by the South African Football Association. 

 

Mohamed Salah confirms Liverpool exit at the end of 2025-26 season

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While Pinnington is a player for the future for Liverpool, one of the team’s greatest servants, Mohamed Salah, dropped a bombshell earlier this week, confirming that the 2025-26 Premier League season will be his last for the Reds. 

The Egyptian King’s announcement comes despite still having a year remaining on his current contract, but it has been confirmed that the parties have agreed he will leave on a free transfer in the summer, bringing an end to his nine-year tenure at Anfield. 

Salah has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in the last couple of years, and the Pro League remains his most likely destination. In 2023, Al-Ittihad tabled a staggering £150m offer for the Reds’ winger, but it was eventually turned down by the Merseysiders. 

If the Saudi Pro League turns out not to be Salah’s next destination, reports suggest that a move to the MLS could be on the cards, given that the league’s commissioner, Don Garber, openly encouraged the 33-year-old to consider a move to the US last December.