Steve McManaman has been there and done it, having graduated the Liverpool academy and playing 364 times before becoming a Galactico at Real Madrid and then joining Manchester City – and now he has some advice for the Kop kids thriving in the first team at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s team has been stretched in recent weeks and the German boss has been forced to rely on his prestigious youth academy, with many stars such as Bobby Clark, Jayden Danns and James McConnell – to name just three – all excelling when called upon.
Many youngsters, also including Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah, have also flourished for the Reds this season and Klopp’s trust in youth has seen dividends as many have shown they can be trusted in decisive moments and big games for the first team.
Now Liverpool legend McManaman, who does work at the club’s academy in an advisory role, says the toughest step will be to prove to a new management team when Klopp leaves that they are good enough to once again step up and cement a place in the club’s long-term future.
Former Liverpool star Steve McManaman has given pearls of wisdom to Liverpool youngsters
Jurgen Klopp has entrusted in a number of youngsters this season after his squad became stretched by injuries – with many catching the eye
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‘Keep on working hard and listen to your peers,’ he tells Mail Sport when asked what his main line of advice would be to the young stars. ‘Listen to those in control. Listen to Barry Lewtas (Under 21 manager) and Jay Spearing.
‘Jay (an overage player for the Under 21s who is also the assistant manager) has played this game and will train with them and kick them, he’s had more than 300 games in league football. Of course listen to Jurgen Klopp as well.
‘But it starts again when the new staff come in. You will have to start afresh and impress the new staff. Keep on learning, keep on working hard, ask the first-team players question after question.
‘Copy the first-team players. When you train with them, look at what Mo Salah does for example, take his good points out, “How do you do that? Why do you do that?” And then copy him! That’s all you can do and you will come better.
He urged Liverpool’s youth stars to keep asking questions and listen to the most experienced faces at the club
‘Work hard, keep your feet on the ground. Forget about playing two games for Liverpool. Come back when you’ve played 100 times! But because of the high-profile games they’ve played in, they’ve been absolutely excellent.
‘It’s lovely to talk about. They’ve been given an opportunity and all grasped that, and made themselves really proud. So I have nothing but praise for them. To lift a trophy at Wembley, to play against Southampton in the FA Cup, brilliant.
‘Now they will be taken out again and get back out of the limelight – that’ll do them the world of good. Get them learning and working hard again. But they’re ready to come again when needed.
‘Liverpool have always had a culture of bringing through academy players. If you go back to when I played, we had Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher, Dominic Matteo, many more.
‘There’s always been good players knocking around. Even those who haven’t made it have been sold for decent money. The main thing for the academy is to ensure a career in football for them per se, even if it’s not at Liverpool.
McManaman urged them to ‘copy’ stars like Mohamed Salah to help them reach the top
‘Look at Tyler Morton and Fabio Carvalho on loan at Hull, Luke Chambers at Wigan, if they were here they would have their opportunity too. But the kids embraced their chance and took it, the most important thing is taking that chance with both hands which they’ve done.’
McManaman works with the academy regularly, attending training sessions and some youth matches. At the FA Youth Cup defeat to Leeds last week, the former winger was in the ear of Under 18s boss Marc Bridge-Wilkinson all match to offer his trusted opinion.
‘I go to the training ground, run around, try to keep up with them, I’m there for advice and help,’ he adds. ‘If I can give them half a per cent of what I know to help them or make them better, that’s all I want to do. If I can advise Bridgey and Co in any way with different opinions.
‘Out of all the kids we’ve seen, the one who has made the most headlines Jayden Danns is on the lowest rung of the ladder. Just three weeks ago he was with the Under 18s, then jumped up to the 21s because they needed him, then jumped to the first team.
McManaman works with the academy regularly, attending training sessions and youth games
He said he was particularly impressed by Jayden Danns, calling him a ‘lovely finisher’ and a ‘talented boy’
‘He’s been great, got his opportunity in the final and also came on against Nottingham Forest when they needed the goal. He’s a talented boy, lovely finisher, can beat a man. He’s a Scouser as well, always has things to say, I love Jayden.
‘As long as he keeps his feet on the ground, which he will do because we’ll be telling him to, he’ll be fine. And the same for all of them. Just keep working hard, listen to your coaches, and they will be fine.’
Steve McManaman was speaking ahead of Sparta Prague v Liverpool, live exclusively on TNT Sports…
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