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Liverpool F.C. Reserves and Academy

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Liverpool Reserves
Full nameLiverpool FC Reserves
Nickname(s)The Reds
Founded1892
GroundHalliwell Jones Stadium
Warrington
Capacity13,024
ManagerEngland Gary Ablett (Reserves)
England Hughie McAuley (Under-18s)
LeaguePremier Reserve League
Premier Academy League
2007-08

2007-08		Premier Reserve League
National Champions
Premier Academy League
Under-18 Group C, 5th
Current season

Reserve team

Liverpool Reserves play in the Barclays Premiership Reserve League North. In their division, the reserves became Champions in 2000. They competed in the Lancashire Combination from 1896 to 1911, with the exception of the 1898-99 season, in which they joined The Combination. From 1911 on they took part in the Central League until becoming inaugural members of the Premier Reserve League North in 1999. They also participate in the Liverpool Senior Cup, although in recent years the teams entered in this competition have featured an increasing number of youth players.

The current Reserve team manager is Gary Ablett, who was appointed in the summer of 2006. His assistant will be Hughie McAuley. Liverpool Reserves play their home games at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, the home ground of Warrington Wolves RFC. In previous seasons the team has also played at Haig Avenue, the home of Southport F.C., Knowsley Road, the home of St. Helens RFC and Wrexham A.F.C.'s Racecourse Ground.

The team was the subject of a famous quote from legendary Liverpool F.C. manager Bill Shankly, who while telling a joke at the expense of local rivals Everton, declared In my time at Anfield we always said we had the two best teams on Merseyside, Liverpool and Liverpool Reserves. Another version of the quote has Shankly saying There's only two teams in Liverpool: Liverpool and Liverpool Reserves.

The most successful Liverpool Reserves coach has been Roy Evans. Evans spent most of his playing career as a reserve team player, making only 11 appearances for the first team. After an injury ended his career in 1974, he was appointed coach of the reserves by Bob Paisley. Evans subsequently led the reserves to victory in a series of Central League championships, including three in his first three seasons, a four in a row sequence from 1978 and two more in the early 1980s. Throughout the history of Liverpool F.C. many of the club's best known players have progressed through the reserve team. These include current first team squad members Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher as well as the likes of Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen and Steve McManaman.

The Academy

In 1998, a new state-of-the-art Youth Academy was opened in Kirkby, to the north of Liverpool. It replaced the older, more informal youth system, and enables the club to focus their youth development and scouting, employing new techniques and FA standards.

It is overseen by former Liverpool FC player Hughie McAuley, who had been the Director of Youth development at the club. The Academy now allows the main training ground at Melwood to be kept solely for the first team squad and allows all the areas there to be kept in tip-top condition. It also provides is a stepping stone for youngsters to progress to the highest levels of football at Liverpool.

Scouts attend many local youth matches looking for talented boys. A boy will then be invited to attend training sessions at the Academy. They are taken in as young as the age of eight. Former England International player Jamie Carragher started at Liverpool when he was aged just nine, with Michael Owen joining at eleven,and Steven Gerrard joining at the age of eight. At this age, the boys start by simply attending after-school training sessions, but as they reach their middle-teens, their academic needs will be taken over by the Academy if they are deemed athletically-talented enough. As such, the Academy has a lecture theatre and a computer-equipped classroom.

The Academy can handle up to twenty boys in each year group, though more usually the figure is around eighteen. Between the ages of eight and twelve the boys play in eight-a-side games of three twenty-minute periods. It allows the boys to play as defenders or as attackers in small groups within a system and is not as physically-demanding as playing eleven-a-side matches.

There are four full-size grass pitches and one with a Polytan surface. There are also a further seven smaller pitches and an indoor arena. The grounds cover an area of 56 acres.

On the walls of the indoor centre hang the words 'Technique', 'Attitude', 'Balance' and 'Speed'. 'TABS' is the key word preached at The Academy.[1]

Players

Reserves

The following players are expected to play for the reserves during the Premier Reserve League 2008-09. In addition, all members of the first team squad are eligible to play for the reserves, as are players from the Academy. Additionally, some of the younger players in the reserves may still feature for the academy side:

As of 8 August 2008.[1] Squad Numbers refer to players' first team squad number (for season 2008-09), where applicable. Reserve and youth games are 1-11.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
22 DF Argentina ARG Emiliano Insúa
26 MF England ENG Jay Spearing
28 MF France FRA Damien Plessis
29 FW Hungary HUN Krisztián Németh
31 MF Morocco MAR Nabil El Zhar
32 DF England ENG Stephen Darby (captain)
34 DF England ENG Martin Kelly
35 MF Scotland SCO Ryan Flynn
36 DF England ENG Steven Irwin
39 FW England ENG Nathan Eccleston
41 GK Denmark DEN Martin Hansen
42 GK Hungary HUN Péter Gulácsi
–– GK Australia AUS Dean Bouzanis
–– DF Spain ESP Daniel Ayala
–– DF Spain ESP Emmanuel Mendy
No. Pos. Nation Player
–– DF Spain ESP Mikel San José
–– DF Paraguay PAR Ronald Huth
–– MF England ENG Ryan Crowther
–– MF England ENG Ray Putterill
–– MF Scotland SCO Gary MacKay-Steven
–– MF Spain ESP Gerardo Bruna
–– MF Spain ESP Francisco Durán
–– MF Hungary HUN Zsolt Pölöskei (on loan from MTK Hungaria)
–– MF Netherlands NED Vincent Weijl
–– FW Spain ESP Daniel Pacheco
–– FW Netherlands NED Jordy Brouwer
–– FW Hungary HUN András Simon
–– FW Denmark DEN Nikola Saric
–– FW Brazil BRA Vitor Flora

Academy (Under-18s)

The following players are expected to play for the team during the Premier Academy League 2008-09.

As of 7 August 2008.[2]

Year Name Pos Age Nat Profile
1st Deale Chamberlain GK 32 England
1st Hakan Duyan GK 33 England
1st Christopher Buchtmann MF 32 Germany
1st James Ellison FW 32 England
1st Michael Roberts MF 32 England
1st Pajtim Kasami MF 32 Switzerland
1st Lauri Dalla Valle FW 32 Finland
1st Thomas Ince FW 32 England
1st Adam Pepper FW 32 England
Year Name Pos Age Nat Profile
2nd Chris Oldfield GK 33 Republic of Ireland View
2nd Joe Kennedy DF 33 England View
2nd David Amoo MF 33 England View
2nd Sean Highdale MF 33 England View
2nd Alex Cooper MF 33 Scotland
2nd Alexander Kacaniklic MF 33 Sweden View
2nd Nathan Eccleston FW 33 England View
2nd Marvin Pourie FW 33 Germany View
Year Name Pos Age Nat Profile
3rd Shane O'Connor DF 34 Republic of Ireland View
3rd Michael Scott DF 35 England View
3rd Astrit Ajdarevic MF 34 Sweden View

Out on loan

Many of Liverpool's reserves and youth players are on loan at other clubs. See Liverpool F.C. Players Out On Loan.

Staff

Current coaching staff

  • Reserve team manager: England Gary Ablett
  • Reserve team coach: Spain Angel Vales
  • Reserve team fitness coach: Spain Gonzalo Rodriguez
  • Academy technical manager: Netherlands Piet Hamberg
  • Academy manager: England John Owens
  • Under-18s manager: England Hughie McAuley
  • Under-16s coach: England Dave Shannon
  • Academy goalkeeper coach: England Billy Stewart
  • Academy head of recruitment: England Malcolm Elias
  • Academy recruitment manager: England Paul Johnson
  • Academy coach: England Ian Brunskill
  • Academy fitness coach: England Julian Monk

In addition, the reserves and academy employ staff from the first-team.

Reserve team manager history

Honours

Reserves

League Champions

Cup Winners

  • Liverpool Senior Cup: 38
    • 1893, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1910 (shared), 1912 (shared), 1913, 1915, 1920, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1934 (shared), 1936 (shared), 1937, 1939, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1952, 1962, 1964 (shared), 1968, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982 (shared), 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004

Youth Team

League Champions

Cup Winners

Noted graduates

Liverpool's youth system has been successful over the years, many players who have come through it have gone on to make an impact in the first-team.

Pre-WW2

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

* Argentina Nabil El zhar

And those that made it elsewhere

Several former Liverpool youth and reserve team players have found success with other clubs. None of these players became established members of the Liverpool first team.

Notes

  1. ^ "First Team Players And Staff". Liverpoolfc.tv. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  2. ^ "Liverpool FC Youth Squad - 2008 -09". Liverpoolfc.tv. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  3. ^ "L.C.F.A. Saturday Challenge Cup Honours List". Liverpool County FA. Retrieved 2008-05-18.
  4. ^ a b "Liverpool Honours Listing". liverweb.org.uk. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  5. ^ "LANCASHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE 1st DIVISION CHAMPIONS". LANCASHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  6. ^ "LANCASHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO CHAMPIONS". LANCASHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  7. ^ "LANCASHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION THREE CHAMPIONS". LANCASHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  8. ^ "L.C.F.A. Youth (Under 18) Cup Honours List". Liverpool County FA. Retrieved 2008-05-18.
  9. ^ "LANCASHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE SUPPLEMENTARY COMPETITION WINNERS DIVISION ONE". LANCASHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  10. ^ "LANCASHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE SUPPLEMENTARY COMPETITION WINNERS DIVISION TWO". LANCASHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  11. ^ "LANCASHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE SUPPLEMENTARY CUP, DIVISION 3". LANCASHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Retrieved 2008-07-23.

Sources

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