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'We're losing future stars'  Dec 20 2006


RAFA BENITEZ this week condemned a 'failing Academy system' which isn't producing players of Premiership quality. What's gone wrong? Liverpool schoolboys' record breaking coach, Tom Wyatt, believes he knows the answer.

CHRIS BASCOMBE reports.

Liverpool Echo


THE walls of Walton Soccer Centre are decorated with the greatest names of Merseyside football.

Robbie Fowler, Dave Watson, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard are among those hanging shoulder to shoulder, having played their part in enhancing the city's status as the most successful schoolboy association in England.

Liverpool and Everton were once the natural beneficiaries of a system recognised not only for nurturing players of undoubted skill, but developing character and mental toughness.

In future, these snaps of baby-faced Anfield and Goodison icons may be replaced by legends from Ewood Park, the Reebok or the JJB Stadium.

Schoolboys manager Tom Wyatt believes the city is in the midst of a talent exodus, with clubs such as Blackburn filling a void left by Liverpool and Everton by encouraging their players to play both Academy and schoolboy football.

Six of Wyatt's current under-14 schoolboy side also play for Blackburn's Academy. Liverpool and Everton's youngsters have opted not to feature.

Last season, Wyatt's under-15s completed an unprecedented quadruple (The English Schools Trophy, MCSFA League and Cup, and North West Trophy) with the help of several of Liverpool FC's Academy starlets.

Wyatt claims this was only arranged following appeals for the club to release players - a process of begging on the boys' behalf which is replicated every year.

Wyatt fears a rigid approach means more youngsters and their parents are looking beyond Anfield and Goodison.

"I must congratulate Blackburn for their flexible attitude," says Wyatt. "On a more local level, there seem to be far more inclination to enforce restrictions.

"There are some great people working at the Academies. The Academy system had to be set up, but now it needs to be revamped.

"I feel we've now reached a stage where we are losing outstanding players out of the city, particularly to Blackburn. Blackburn are always willing to work with the associations and schools.

"I have a very strong under-14 side here now, but it worries me there are no Everton or Liverpool players playing for us.

"At the moment, it's almost a dictatorship with decisions taken to actually make it more difficult for boys to play for us. The mistakes the Academies on our doorstep make are benefiting others.

"I believe each boy's situation should be assessed individually.

"I'd like to be able to sit down with the Academy directors and have them tell us how they see each player who is part of our association developing in the future, and tell us they would actively like them to represent the city. Obviously there are concerns about over-playing and injuries, but let's discuss it on an individual basis. Let's give the child and his parents the choice.

"We're a very professional set-up here, with Dave Watson and Kenny Irons on our coaching staff.

"We've heard plenty of examples of boys coming here wanting to play for the schoolboys, only to find they have been discouraged from doing so when they've gone back to their Academy.

"We've had boys so desperate to be involved, they've come to watch our games, but been told not to play.

"Strangely, we don't have the same restrictions put upon our female international players. Why is that?

"Because of the restrictions, parents are twigging onto it and taking the boys elsewhere. I wonder why players like Kevin Nolan, Leighton Baines, Joey Barton and David Nugent aren't playing in this city?

"Are you telling me top Premiership players aren't coming through in Liverpool any more? I think not.

"The players are here, but it's how we deal with them that matters.

"It's not all about Steven Gerrard or Wayne Rooney. Let's be honest. My grandmother could spot how good Gerrard and Rooney were. It's the others we're losing out on.

"It would concern me right now that the most successful association in the country has no Liverpool or Everton players. They're at Blackburn, Tranmere, Oldham or Bury.

"Maybe Liverpool and Everton didn't fancy those players, but there are plenty of examples of youngsters going to clubs and being rejected, only to make it elsewhere."

Both Liverpool and Everton can point to a history of achievement identifying the region's best talent, but Wyatt believes it's no coincidence a recent dry spell has coincided with the greater enforcement of restrictions.

"Jim Aspinall, the former recruitment officer at Liverpool FC, always said to me he could make his mind up about players when they were playing for us in the real cut and thrust of a quarter-final of the English Schools Cup. There's an intensity to these games which is invaluable.

"Steve Heighway and Dave Shannon at Liverpool FC are fabulous coaches and I know there's some fantastic work going on in the Academies.

"I've also spoken to the new youth recruitment officer at Liverpool, Malcolm Elias, who agrees the youngsters benefit from schoolboy football. He encouraged it at Southampton, his last club. But despite this, it's not been the same here, and others are reaping the benefits.

"As a schoolboy manager, I'm willing to work with the clubs. There are other associations who shoot themselves in the foot by demanding too much, but as far as I'm concerned playing for this city is as big an honour as playing for England and should be negotiated on those terms. We would not have won the English Schools Trophy last season without the boys from the Liverpool FC Academy.

"We were initially told the lads couldn't play, but we negotiated with the parents, the players and the club, and those who wanted to play did so.

"Dominic Price scored the winning goals in both our finals and Joe Kennedy, a centre-half, was phenomenal for us. I believe that experience has made them better players.

"We shouldn't have to fight to allow them to play, but be encouraging all our players to represent this city, not alienating them. I'd say to parents, never compromise your child's options. Don't let anyone tell you what your child can and can't do.

"The emphasise has to be on fun. Of course we want to develop skill and technique, but we want character, too. Our lads have a desire to win and battle. If you kick one, they all limp.

"There's something fabulous about putting on a shirt which says you're representing your city.

"I take pride in all the players from this city, whether they're playing for Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United or Manchester City, because they've put us on the map.

"But as a Scouser, I'd much rather they were playing for our clubs. Unless things change, I fear this will happen less in the future."

[stmichael]

I know where he's coming from.

The thing is, I'm not sure that the big clubs under the present system CAN produce top players. Squads are so much thicker now such that players like Zenden who are established internationals are 4th choice but play under rotation.

The answer is for us to close down our academy and send all our youth expertise to Crewe or Tranmere and let us cherry pick the kids they produce for a set fee as a joint enterprise. That way the best kids might have a chance of making the grade.

The other massive problem in top flight football is that the drop in revenue from Prem to Championship is so huge that clubs can't take the risk in giving youth its head. In the past, a drop in divisions wasn't so catastrophic but now it's 30m a year or whatever it is.

Middlesbro are giving young kids a go in Cattermole, Parnaby, Morrison, Davies and a few more but they are struggling at the bottom of the league, can they hold their nerve or will it be old heads to get the job done.

The system needs changing and a way has to be found to keep our best kids progressing between 17 and 20 when if good enough they should be able to be part of the first team squad.

[RichardLFC1]

I feel that Peltier, anderson guthrie these are 3 upcoming stars that have come through our liverepool academy. Peltier in my opinion is the best of the lot showing real force and determination and i think he will be a great replacement to steve finnan

[spion]

Yesterdays Guardian had a great item about the academy issues throughout the premier league & Rafa commented that if these players are to improve enought to be able to intergrate into the first teams they need to play against men rather than other young players who pepper the ressie teams throughout the premire league teams.

[account deleted by request]

I heard a while back that someone called Eccleston (15 year old striker) is going to be the next big thing for us.

[hello_red]

you learn from playing with bigger better footballers! i play bass guitar and the way i improved my bass playing skills was through playing with far superior musicians! same goes for young footballers! there comes a point when all the training you have had over the years need to be put into practice.

i think its a good idea to give kids from the youth system a chance to play fror scholl teams at a younger age, gove them the chance to play competitive football etc. see how good they are compared to the school kids.

[Lando_Griffin]

It's all a load of old b*llocks.

Robbie Fowler, JC, Owen, Gerrard and...

That's IT. 4 TOP class players in 20 years.

They talk some b*llocks, really they do.

Our youth system has never been a regular producer - we've had f*cking outstanding talent coming through once every 3 or 4 years.

Some people (like this c*nt Wyatt) THINK they know it all, when patently they don't.

The reason LFC say "F*ck you" to the schoolboys is because for every 50 you send, one comes back a better player, whereas 49 come back f*cked and/or injured.
"Oh, but Dave Watson and some other useless ex-player is a coach" - SO F*CKING WHAT? Are you seriously suggesting they are better coaches than the blokes we have at Melwood? If they're so f*cking good - why are they p*ssing about at an Amature level? Stop talking out of your a*se you thick tw*t.

Furthermore, if the parents are thick enough to let their kids go to Blackburn for the sake of a few Schoolboy games - that's their lookout. The kids will all be W*nk anyway, as they'll be too busy coke-muling for their Momma's pimp.

You can't blame LFC if they're all imbeciles.

[RedBlood]

i feel the best thing we can do for the likes of anderson, el zahr, guthrie etc is loan them out once they have taken all they can out of the reserve level. There would surely be championship teams that would take them for a year or two, get them use to competitive english football at a desent level.