Contagious, confident - the rise of Lewis Koumas

Contagious, confident - the rise of Lewis KoumasImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Lewis Koumas has made five Liverpool appearances this season ByChris WathanBBC Sport WalesBy the looks of it, Lewis Koumas is not wasting his time.It took less than a week of pre-season for the 21-year-old to show new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola what he could offer.And it has taken less than a month of the new season for him to show why he has a place in Liverpool's plans.Now, over the next fortnight, the attacking prospect who is fast becoming an Anfield favourite will attempt to prove what several people in Welsh football have suspected for a long while - that he can have a big impact on the international stage too."I feel he's going to be a really important player for us for a number of years," Wales boss Craig Bellamy said before Nations League games with Portugal, Denmark and Norway that will see Koumas share an international stage with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland.Portugal v WalesNations League Group A4Thursday, 24 September, 19:45 BSTEstádio José Alvalade, LisbonLive on BBC iPlayer, BBC One Wales, BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and 5 Live, BBC Sport website and app, plus live text commentary.Bellamy is not alone. Wales and Liverpool legend Ian Rush is among a growing number impressed by Koumas' potential, a potential that – despite his recent rise to prominence – has been obvious for a number of years.Right from the off, in fact. The surname alone brought excitement, given the talents of Lewis' father, former Wales international Jason Koumas."Jason was a talented, talented player," says Danny Gabbidon, who played alongside the older Koumas for Wales."He could do a bit of everything; technically amazing, he could look after the ball, pass, score fantastic goals. He could just make things happen."The phrase mercurial midfielder never felt more fitting than for Koumas senior, who won 34 caps and scored 10 goals for Wales but could delight and frustrate in equal measure."He could be a bit lazy at times," chuckles Gabbidon when considering a player who was often nonchalance personified.Indeed, Tranmere Rovers, West Bromwich Albion, Cardiff City and Wigan Athletic fans will all smile at the highlight-reel memories, while having a nagging feeling of what might have been had Koumas had the tenacity to match his talent.Yet it seems Lewis has some of the qualities his father may have lacked."You wouldn't have seen Jason running around like Lewis the other night [for Liverpool against Tottenham] ," says Gabbidon. "I kept a close eye on him because I've felt his best position is a striker and I've been keen to see him down the middle."To get the chance at a club like Liverpool shows what the manager thinks of him. But it's not just his talent, it's the appetite."Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jason Koumas played for Wales between 2001 and 2009A coach's dreamThe younger Koumas' attitude is something that has been noted for some time.Former Liverpool Under-21 head coach Barry Lewtas describes him as "a coach's dream". "The effort, the will to learn and develop, how he applies himself, it's all there," Lewtas says.A Liverpool supporter from birth, Koumas has been with the Reds since primary school age, following in the footsteps of his father, who was once a nine-year-old team-mate of Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen.While Jason moved on to Tranmere without making the breakthrough at Liverpool, Lewis has flourished with the Premier League giants, especially since being pushed from midfield into a forward role at the age of 16."That was an important part of his development, getting that exposure of playing deeper, dealing with the ball and the technical side," adds Lewtas."But then, when your skill-sets develop, you find the area that suits you best."Pick your Wales side to face PortugalChoose a formation and Wales XI for the opening Nations League A game in Lisbon on Thursday, 24 SeptemberGiven the influence of then Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, Lewtas says Koumas' finishing prowess combined with a ferocious attitude towards pressing meant his path was obvious."He fitted us and we fitted him," Lewtas says. By 2024, Klopp had given Koumas his senior debut.He scored in the FA Cup against Southampton in February 2024 was then an unused substitute as Liverpool beat Chelsea to win the League Cup at Wembley.There were more than 900 days before his next first-team appearance for Liverpool, with three loan spells in the Championship in between.At Stoke City, Koumas played under three different managers in a single season, but earned roles under all three during a spell credited for boosting his belief.He played 25 times for Birmingham City in the first half last season - though managed only seven league starts - before moving on 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.The assumption was that another loan spell beckoned, but Iraola put a stop to such thoughts a week into the club's pre-season trip to the United States.A Premier League debut followed, as did a first appearance in the Champions League, plus a relentless man-of-the-match performance against Tottenham that enamoured him to the Anfield crowd and seemed to symbolise the demands of the club's new boss."He's really matured since making his debut," says Theo Squires, senior football writer at the Liverpool Echo. "Back then he was just a boy who had caught the eye at academy level as a versatile forward with a keen eye for goal."He looks almost unrecognisable physically. Leading the line against Tottenham, he more than held his own and he was a constant nuisance with his pace and never-say-die pressing."Koumas' energy was described by Iraola as being contagious for the rest of the Liverpool squad, £100m-plus signings included."It's been brilliant to see," adds Lewtas. "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."'I'll win you games'Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Lewis Koumas has scored once in 12 Wales appearances Koumas knows what he is capable of, too.Matty Jones, the Wales Under-21 head coach, has spoken of the regular meetings he had with Koumas to ensure there was no chance of England nabbing the Wirral-born Welshman.One ended with Koumas telling Jones: "I'll win you games". A match-winning, curling finish on his international under-21 debut in 2025 backed up the quiet self-assurance.Before last June's senior international friendlies, Koumas said Wales fans had not seen "anything from me yet".He pointed that having played only cameo roles for Wales, he needed to "work harder and show a little bit more to get the trust of the gaffer".He duly scored his first international goal against Ghana."He's been there in every squad I've announced but I felt in the summer, he turned," says Bellamy. "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."Both club and international bosses agree there is more to work on, but also that there is more to come.Wales will hope that he can make further strides during a demanding Nations League campaign which begins against Portugal in Lisbon on Thursday. "He knows there is a higher ceiling," says Lewtas."Knowing Lewis' appetite for things, he won't be worried about it, he'll be looking forward to it."