Liverpool's Director of Academy and Player Development Frank McParland returns for his latest Footballers' Football Column.
He pays tribute to Anfield icon Jamie Carragher, who hangs up his boots at the end of the season. McParland also praises graduate Jerome Sinclair who made the step up to the first team this season. And also tells how another former graduate stopped by the academy in his new role on TV.
It will be a sad day at Anfield this weekend when Jamie Carragher retires. As a player he is one of the most respected. As a role model for our academy players, he is one of the best.
Jamie is one of our own who has come through from a young age and finished his career here. There are not many in the modern game who have done that. Manchester United have had Paul Scholes and Jamie has the same standing at this club. It's fitting that his last game will be at Anfield where he'll get a wonderful send-off.
What's good for us is that his son James is at the academy in Kirkby. Phil Carragher, Jamie's dad, is a regular there supporting his grandson and Jamie is there when playing commitments allow. James is with our U10s. He's not settled into a position yet. He's only young and plays all over the place.
Jamie has always been a terrific representative of the first team and the club. If we need any help with anything at the Academy, whether it's speaking to players or parents, Jamie has done anything we have asked him to do. He's been exceptional for us. We'll still see him as I know he enjoys coming up to watch all the games.
There could be some interesting conversations and tales from Memory Lane though as another former player, Salif Diao, will also be up at Kirkby regularly as his son has just signed for our Under Nines so there will be plenty of advice coming from the sidelines.
Another young player on the right path at the moment is Jerome Sinclair. He had a great experience the other night when he picked up the Ian Frodsham Young Player of the Year award from the Liverpool Supporters' Club at Anfield.
It's been a big year for Jerome moving to the club from West Bromwich Albion and making his senior debut against them to become the club's youngest ever player at 16 years and six days.
The supporters branch was surprised that he requested 10 tickets for the event but it was because all of his family came up from the Midlands while his headmaster from Rainhill High, the school where we place a number of our lads, also came along.
It was a proud moment for him, the staff and the other five lads we took along from the Academy.
Jerome has been training regularly with the first team but we decided to take him out of the action for four or five weeks recently because we felt he had done a little too much and we want him to come back bigger and stronger next season.
It's amazing to think he is still on schoolboy registration forms because he is coming along well. Even in the FA Youth Cup side that faced Chelsea, a lot of our players were a year younger or more than those at Chelsea. Eight of the lads had food poisoning before the semi final second leg at Stamford Bridge, Jack Dunn was particularly ill, but they still managed to give a good account of themselves.
The highlight of the supporters' club evening for me though was when Phil Neal was presented with an award.
When they reeled off all the trophies Phil had won in 11 years, eight First Division titles, four League Cups, five FA Charity Shields, four European Cups, one UEFA Cup and one UEFA Super Cup, the lads were in awe but they couldn't believe their ears when the announcer read out Phil's record of 417 consecutive games. Apparently he missed one then made another 127 in a row.
I think the lads thought that was his overall total at first but it's an incredible figure when you think about it - especially as it was over an eight-year period. It's a record that will never be broken. The lads couldn't take it in but it was important for them to hear about the history and the standards expected of becoming a Liverpool player. Phil Neal represents the success you can achieve if you dedicate yourself to the game.
This time of year is always pivotal for shaping how the academy moves forward at both ends of the scale.
The eight-year-olds who we have brought into our academy were all invited along to an induction evening at Anfield and it was a wonderful night.
Liverpool FC TV were filming as they plan a programme about it and the beauty of it is that it's mainly local people so mum, dad, grandad and grandma come along and often they are more proud and excited than their kids are.
The manager Brendan Rodgers was there and his presence is very important in making the families feel the club is taking the care and development of their children seriously.
He spoke well as he outlined a career path and how strongly he believes in producing local players to play for Liverpool. He was absolutely fantastic talking to them for a couple of hours and getting his photograph taken with whoever wanted one.
It makes everyone feel part of a Liverpool family.
It's similar to going to a new school. We have everyone from the scouting department, the education department, the technical director Rodolfo Borrell, who was Lionel Messi's first coach. It's a chance for the children and parents to know who they will be dealing with over the years.
People still ask what do we see in players at Under Eights but we do get good little footballers. We pick some of those and those who may just be good athletes and see how they develop.They play one game a week for us and train three times. The training is structured so that they learn the rudiments of football; passing with both feet, running with the ball, all different disciplines.
Sure, no-one knows at that age if they'll play in the first team but you can assess how they play, their attitude and physical side. Again, we look at the parents. Maybe if he's a goalkeeper you look how big mum and dad are but we've all seen the kid with little parents who ends up 6ft 5in tall. You never know what you're going to get. It's all about nurturing and developing their talent and love for the game.
Of course the down side to the job and hardest bit of all is telling players that they do not have a career at the club.
The harsh truth is everyone that joins Liverpool leaves Liverpool, whether you are staff or a player.
It is of paramount importance the way we deal with someone who is leaving the club. You have to do it with dignity and sensitivity.
If we can help them get another club we always do; in fact most lads now normally get another club. If they need to go on trial while still under contract to us that's not a problem and sometimes, if they fail to find a club in England, we are able to help them get a scholarship in America.
The education and welfare department has a massive part to play in when a player leaves. It's important they feel comfortable enough to come back and ask for help if things don't work out and that we are happy to see them.
The process is not as blunt as at some clubs, which helps.
We talk to the players on a daily basis, assessing their path and chances of progress, so they know for some time if it is unlikely they will be offered a new deal.
I would be really disappointed if it was a massive surprise to anyone to be released because of the process we have put in place.
You love the kids, you really do because you are with them for so long and I believe that constant and gradual assessment lets them down gently and makes them realistic about where we believe they are at.
Hopefully, we don't get too many wrong and I think we do it quite well.
The level has gone up at Liverpool's academy and the evidence is that the manager has been happy when those that join the first team for training have shown the right attitude and technical ability.
The Hillsborough memorial service was particularly poignant this year because of the breakthrough the families have had in their campaign for justice and it's important all our staff appreciate and understand what the campaign is about.
Phil Roscoe and Clive Cook, who head up our education and welfare department, did a 15-minute presentation to the young players about Hillsborough to explain what it is all about ahead of the players and staff attending the service at Anfield on April 15.
Clive was actually at Hillsborough on that day in 1989 so it has even more resonance with him. We included the ladies team in the talk this year because they also have a lot of foreign players and it's all part of teaching everyone at the club why and how 96 of our fans went to a game and never came back.
Some of the staff are looking a bit fitter lately. Around 25 of them and eight academy players are taking part in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in aid of the Stephen Packer Appeal for Alder Hey Children's Hospital.
Stephen, or Stevie as he was known, was one of our talented U9s who sadly passed away last November after a battle with cancer. Stevie's mum, dad and grandparents are looking to join us on one of the three legs.
There is Pen-y-Ghent which is 694 metres, Whernside which is 736m then Ingleborough which is 723m. It's around 24 miles altogether and the idea is to do it in 12 hours. Well, that's the idea.
Some of the staff have been training for it by walking home from the academy. They thought it was a good idea to walk in then forgot the fact they couldn't drive home later!
The best one was Ian Barrigan our head of local recruitment.
Ian has been one of the driving forces behind the appeal but he got lost on his way home walking back through Croxteth Country Park with one of our scouts and ended up in a farmer's field where they weren't supposed to be. He ended up being picked up by the police and had to explain why he was there.
You couldn't make it up. It was like an episode of Only Fools and Horses: One of our Scouts is Missing! We may have to follow him in Yorkshire and he can't even find his way home through Liverpool.
Anyway, all the funds raised will go to Alder Hey and we're up for the challenge.
Comedian John Bishop dropped in at the academy for a game the other week. John's a big Liverpool fan and he brought his team, the Willaston All-Stars to play against some of our staff. He had his brother Eddie playing who was a good player with Tranmere and Chester in his day but we still managed to win 5-2.
John was surprisingly good. He's quite a big lad but had a decent touch and Eddie scored a great header but, of course, we were too good for them.
One of our former graduates Steve McManaman also visited in his role working as a TV pundit for ESPN and Fox Sports in Asia.
Steve is Asia's version of Gary Lineker on Match of the Day and he came by to do some interviews with the likes of Jordan Ibe and Ryan McLaughlin and the staff.
Steve was saying that some of the Premier League games can get up to 1billion viewers out there which underlines how popular our game is.
He still looked fit as he took part in training and played with the reserves. There were a few glimpses of the old skill with some of his touches and you could tell he's looked after himself.
The only sign of him getting older was when he moaned that the footballs were too hard. I think it's more his legs have gone soft with old age and good living.
Source: Daily Mail
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