The lad who looks most likely to be around the first team over the next few years is obviously my compatriot Harry Wilson with the level he’s at right now making him a brilliant bench option for Liverpool next season – he is again proving he has what it takes to perform at senior level, though this time around it’s under Frank Lampard’s tutelage at Derby County. With the help of up-and-coming Twitter maestro Carson (@WC_LFC_Torres), I’m going to be looking at who could soon be making the step up from Kirkby to Melwood on a full-time basis. Carson states that: “Some other names I’d keep an eye on would be Duncan and Glatzel, both superb goal scorers for their age but their size could work against them.” This is a worry that I’m sure the academy coaches will be aware of and the worry is real – many young players fail to adapt to the physicality of senior football and thus fail to make the grade, even if they have bags full of talent. Whilst this may also be true for Brewster, his blistering pace ace agility should help him overcome any physical barriers that may halt his progress. Adam Lewis is another name that springs to mind when we think of the academy’s best and brightest with former youth coach and Anfield hero Steven Gerrard labelling him, “the best of his age he’s ever seen”, but as Carson explains, “he also happens to play in the same position as Robertson, and if there’s truth to the Kelly rumours then Klopp may not feel he’s the natural next step.”Curtis Jones is another that springs to mind and whilst his versatility and technical prowess is incredible, it’s too soon to judge as to whether his physicality or final product will improve significantly as he matures as a player. A player who I don’t wish to draw attention to yet is Liverpool’s latest debutant Ki-Jana Hoever – this isn’t down to his ability because it’s clear to see how good the youngster already is and how good he could become, but because the longer we shelter him from unnecessary pressure the more he will be able to develop and improve his game. 
Liverpool’s recent FA Cup defeat to Wolves may have dampened our spirits and hurt out morale, but it did give us an opportunity to see some of Kirkby’s finest talents line-up alongside seasoned Liverpool players and play against a genuinely solid opposition. Whilst the lads didn’t exactly set the world alight while making their competitive debuts for Liverpool, they did hold their own at times and managed to showcase why the coaching staff at both Kirkby and Melwood have so much faith in them. Rafa Camacho looked lively going forward and his determination to win the ball was admirable, although his positional awareness did let him down but that is to be expected when you remember that he is a natural winger and not a defender. Finally, we get to Hoever, the player I didn’t want to talk about but that feels inevitable now. The Dutchman was brilliant, he did look a little shaky when he was thrust into action after Lovren’s injury in the opening minutes, but he looked excellent with the ball at his feet and his ability to read the game shows exactly why Inglethorpe was so desperate to poach him from Ajax in the summer. 
Whilst the main motivation for any manager is to win trophies and become the best they can be, Klopp has made it clear that he wants to lay the foundations for Liverpool to become a far more sustainable outfit with the academy being a factory that can delivery players to the first team or provide the youngsters with all the skills they need to excel elsewhere. Klopp obviously still wants to win silverware, but it’s clear that he wants his legacy to be more than just accolades and individual honours. It is highly likely that the German will have left Liverpool by the time the likes of Alexander-Arnold, Brewster, and Hoever reach their prime years but the emphasis he puts on their development shows that this isn’t about him, it’s about leaving the club in a far better position than when he first arrived. Liverpool’s academy is in brilliant shape and the changes already made, along with the restructuring of the coaching staff system, means that it should continue to identify, build, and help progress the best young footballers in the North West for years to come. If Jurgen Klopp’s legacy at Liverpool is built around helping us ensure that there is always at least one local lad on the team sheet then his reign would have been a resounding success. Article by James McHale @jamesmchale2607 16+ PODCASTS P/MONTH
12+ SHOWS P/MONTH
DAILY ARTICLES INC ‘SPECIAL GUEST WRITERS’
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS – INC JURGEN KLOPP!
Pre and Post Match Shows FREE month trial:https://buff.ly/2GNsNTv
