Liverpool FC Forum

Reg » Fri May 03, 2013 7:04 pm wrote:Tell me theres good news at the end of the tunnel. 

We would ,but I doubt you would hear us. 

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11669/8804556?

Highly-rated Liverpool starlet Lloyd Jones has signed his first professional contract at Anfield.

The towering central defender, who joined the club from Plymouth in 2011, is regarded as one of the brightest young prospects at Liverpool.

The 17-year-old was a regular in the NextGen team and the Under 21s last season and he was also named on the bench for a Premier League game against Fulham at the back end of last season.

Jones is tipped to become a regular in Brendan Rodgers' side in the next few seasons and the club have moved to secure him on a professional deal.

Wales youth international was delighted to sign the new deal writting on Twitter: "Great feeling to sign a Professional contract with Liverpool today."


Its only what the lad deserves, Jones is going to be a top player in the future

Burnley teenager Ryan Fulton was rewarded with a three-year professional contract with Liverpool on Wednesday.

The 17-year-old former Fulledge Colt has been with the Anfield club since being spotted playing at a Barrowford Celtic tournament in 2007.

And he has enjoyed a remarkable year with the Reds, helping reach the FA Youth Cup semi-finals, the last 16 of the Under 19 NextGenSeries, as well as the Singapore final of the NexLions Cup, and the final of a tournament in Qatar.

He is extremely well thought of at the club, with thisisanfield.com saying: “Fulton is especially highly-rated by academy observers as the best keeper to come through the academy for some time.”

The former Shuttleworth College student signed a scholarship with Liverpool two and a half years ago - a full year before he could actually start it, and father Brian was delighted with his latest achievement: “I’m over the moon with him, it’s brilliant news.

“He’s been with the club since the Under 10s, and all that hard graft has paid off with his first professional contract.

“It’s what he deserves, but the hard work starts now, he’s got to step things up another level.

“He’s seen off two Under 19 keepers, and now he has the Under 21 keeper in his sights.

“Everyone is pleased for him, he’s done really well.

“To sign a professional contract with any club is a big deal for anyone, no matter where you are, and to do it with Liverpool is fantastic.

“They’ve been superb with Ryan and us, they look after him really well.

“He has digs in Prescot, and comes home at the weekend, and he’s thoroughly enjoying it.

“It’s a long way from Fulledge Colts!”

A Rangers fan, as his father heralds from Scotland, Ryan is eligbile to play internationally north and south of the border, and he has been capped at youth level by Scotland, helping the Under 16s win the Victory Shield, while England Under 16s were also keen to recruit him, having been asked to go for trials in 2011.

However, Liverpool is his main focus, and building on a big year at the club.

Father Brian added: “He’s had a phenomenal season with Liverpool, and he needs to carry on pushing forward now.

“He’s shaping up well, he’s gone from a boy to a man, in terms of his size and build - he’s a real athlete.

“He’s definitely got the stature to become a goalkeeper.”

He was promoted to the Under 18s side last season at Liverpool, where he quickly established himself as the number one ahead of the likes of Tyrell Belford and Ryan Crump, featuring in both legs of the FA Youth Cup semi-final against Chelsea, at Anfield and Stamford Bridge.

He made his debut for the side in September in a 2-0 loss to Manchester City, and also earned a starting berth for the Under 19s in their run to the last 16 of the NextGen tournament, which was ultimately ended by Sporting Lisbon - producing consistently impressive performances throughout the season that drew much praise from observers.



http://www.burnleyexpress.net/sport/football/local-football/burnley-keeper-signs-pro-contract-with-liverpool-1-5823507

ngoo is going on loan to yeovil for the season. great move for the lad!

stmichael » Wed Jul 10, 2013 5:52 pm wrote:ngoo is going on loan to yeovil for the season. great move for the lad!

Get away!?

When I used to watch play for the Ressies he seemed way better than that, I'm surprised. I thought he'd done well up in Scotland?

what makes anyone think he has a future here ?
he has been here since 2009 and is almost 21 with 0 appearances for the first team. last season we could have used him when we where short but even then he lost out to morgan.
loaned to hearts and now to yeovil and imo next season sold or let go.
his inexperience isnt a problem or his age as rodgers has played similar lads so far. he doesnt rate him imo and thats why he isnt being kept around the place.

Yeah, I think that too. Didn't do much at Hearts either. Had a good start but the rest of the loan wasn't as impressive, and we're talking about the Scottish league here.

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/141585-dominant-reds-lift-milk-cup-globe?

Liverpool U17s won the premier Milk Cup Globe on Friday afternoon after Ryan Kent's double helped them to a 2-0 win over Newcastle at the Showgrounds in Coleraine.


The Reds controlled the final from start to finish - and they made their constant pressure count early on when Kent sprung clear of the Magpies' defence in the 10th minute to curl home the opener.

Mike Garrity made wholesale changes to the side that beat Corinthians on penalties in the semi-final on Thursday. Out went Harry Wilson and Sergi Canos, and in came Will Marsh and Louis Robles.

Corey Whelan and Daniel Cleary were the centre-back pairing and the duo were nothing short of superb throughout. Whelan, in particular, stroked the ball about brilliantly.

He unlocked the Newcastle back-line five times in the first half by floating a precise pass over the top for the powerful Dharius Waldron to chase. Their combination handed Alex O'Hanlon a fine chance shortly after Kent's opener, but he fired over the bar.

Before the interval, diligent work from the effervescent Kent opened up a golden opportunity for Robles, but the Scouser was caught unawares as he attempted to dig the ball out from under his feet, and he scooped his shot over the bar.

Garrity's side completely controlled the game - of that there could be no doubt. Newcastle registered few chances and they were forced to chase the ball throughout.

The Reds flew out of the blocks in the second half - Dave Roberts charged from the halfway line to the edge of the box and curled a shot at goal, which the 'keeper got a hand to and Robles was unlucky not to net on the rebound.

Newcastle were gifted one fine chance to equalise late on, when a lapse in concentration allowed the Toon to work the ball out to Dan Barlaser, who was presented with an open goal, yet skied his effort over the bar.

Then, in stoppage time, the Reds put the game to bed and grabbed the second goal their efforts had earned.

Substitute Canos broke down the field and waited while a swarm of red shirts caught him up. Composed, the talented Spaniard intentionally missed the first man, Adam Phillips, with his weighted cross, and the ball landed perfectly for Ryan Kent to tap home at the far post.

New lad Sergio Canos already impressing .

Now this is the sort of attitude you like to see from a youngster - this guy will be an outstanding RB - reminds me of Trigger at his best


Liverpool's Ryan McLaughlin puts club before Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland have suffered a blow after Liverpool youngster Ryan McLaughlin told Michael O'Neill that he does not want to be considered for international duty at the moment.

O'Neill told the Sunday Life newspaper  that McLaughlin had informed him that he wanted to concentrate on his club.

McLaughlin, 18, insisted to O'Neill that he is not considering switching allegiance to the Republic of Ireland.

The Belfast man has played for Northern Ireland at youths and Under-21 level.

McLaughlin had been named in the Northern Ireland Under-21 squad for Wednesday's friendly against Denmark and was also on standby for the World Cup qualifier against Russia.

“When a player sits down and tells me face-to-face that it isn't an eligibility issue, I have to believe him”

"Ryan has decided that he just doesn't want to make himself available to play for Northern Ireland," O'Neill added in his interview with the Sunday Life.

"We had notification from Liverpool that he wanted to stay and concentrate on his club career at this minute in time and he wouldn't be available for the Under-21 team or the senior squad."

O'Neill attempted to change McLaughlin's mind on the issue by holding face-to-face discussions with the defender but these proved to no avail.

"I met him face-to-face and also with Brendan (Rodgers) there. Stephen Robinson (Northern Ireland Under-21 coach) met him in the summer while he was at home in Belfast.

"(But) Ryan feels at this moment in time that coming away on international duty will be detrimental to his progress at Liverpool.

"I don't really understand that and I told Ryan that when I met him.

"Liverpool have encouraged him to come away with us. I've had conversations with Brendan (Rodgers) and Barry Hunter (coach) about it. They both want him to play for us and have told him that."

Darron Gibson and James McClean are among a number of Northern Ireland-born players who have switched allegiance to the Republic of Ireland in recent years but McLaughlin has told O'Neill that he will not be following that path.

"The player has assured me that is not in his thinking or an issue," added the Northern Ireland manager.

"I would not be surprised if he has been targeted in some way by the Republic of Ireland but when a player sits down and tells me face-to-face that it isn't an eligibility issue, I have to believe him."

O'Neill added that McLaughlin, who recently signed a new three-year contract at Liverpool, had been "very, very close" to making his full Northern Ireland debut.

"If you look at our squad, we have Aaron Hughes, a centre-back, playing at right-back. Our only natural right-backs are Lee Hodson and Ryan McLaughlin."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23655967

I don't think McLaughlin is being honest here.

He's from west Belfast and judging by the school he went to, will be a catholic, hence he'll have grown up supporting republic of Ireland rather than northern ireland.

Seems to me he wants to avoid being capped to keep his options open in terms of who he represents, I don't think this is anything to do with wanting to concentrate on his club career. I agree with Michael o'Neill - it doesn't really make sense. International experience would surely only be good for his development at this stage.

I have nothing against him doing this, but if it is what he's doing he should be up front about it.
I could be wide of the mark here, but time will tell.

maybe he doesnt want to get involved in it all.
i`m not from belfast so i wouldnt know what the score is but if what you say is true john and he comes from a catholic area maybe friends he grew up with are urging him to play for the republic and at the same time the northern irish F.A are trying to convince him to play for the north?
maybe he`s thinking to himself i cant be @rsed with all this sh1t.e i`ll play for no one.
thats total guesswork but it might explain his stance.
anyway the north (and south`s) loss is our gain, he looks a terrific prospect, a real attack minded fullback.

Who knows for sure mate, certainly not me.

I'm not interested in any of that nonsense anyway to be honest.

He's going to be a player though that lad. I'm surprised he wasn't involved with the first team preseason, a better bet than Kelly or Flanagan long term for the RB slot I think.

john craig » Sun Aug 11, 2013 9:18 pm wrote:Who knows for sure mate, certainly not me.

I'm not interested in any of that nonsense anyway to be honest.

He's going to be a player though that lad. I'm surprised he wasn't involved with the first team preseason, a better bet than Kelly or Flanagan long term for the RB slot I think.

yeah it was a bit odd that, he went with the squad last year to the states (and did well against roma) so you would have thought he`d travel with them this year as well, maybe he was injured or something.
as a matter of interest john how many pro footy teams has belfast got? is it like liverpool with two or is it like london with a load of them?

Youth Focus 2013-14: Liverpool
by Christopher Atkins

Ahead of the 2013-14 season, The Scout's Notebook will profile emerging talent at some of the Premier League's top football clubs, and discuss the players' prospects for the season ahead. With the sides now playing preseason friendlies and tournaments ahead of the campaign, we are beginning to see which players have the potential to feature in their manager's plans this season.

Today: Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool side

Liverpool will start the 2013-14 Premier League season full of optimism, with a positive start to the Rodgers era built upon with some well-regarded signings this summer. The Reds are a very different side under their Northern Irish manager than in previous years; looking to retain possession and move towards a more fluid, skill-based attacking unit. While the current impasse over Luis Suarez will be far from welcome, there are positive signs coming out of Anfield.

Another key facet of Rodgers' reign thus far has been his decision to trust in youth talent, aided by the academy restructuring work begun under Rafael Benitez and continued under subsequent managers. He arrived to find a club blessed with a handful of very promising youngsters, but has made a noted effort to give such players a chance -- aided by the club's lack of squad depth last campaign. In that respect, the future looks bright for Liverpool.

It had been a barren few years for a club of Liverpool's size in terms of bringing academy graduates into the first-team and many of those who had been given a chance fell short of the standards required. While many of those blazing a trail for the current next generation have been bought in from other academies during their teenage years, there are also signs of young Liverpool-produced talents emerging.

Leading the way once more this season will be two players brought into the club at the age of 15 -- Raheem Sterling and Andre Wisdom. The pair made a combined 36 appearances in the Premier League last campaign and showed initial promise, but they will hope to build upon their initial successes.

Sterling, 18, is perhaps the most hotly anticipated talent in the English game, with many who have watched him from an early age expecting him to go on to achieve significant feats within the game. Fast, skilful and intelligent in his play, Sterling showed that he has everything needed to succeed at the top level last campaign before fatigue eventually took its toll late in the season. Having been thrown in at the deep end, it was an impressive start to what should be a successful career.

Wisdom, meanwhile, was able to enjoy a more measured adaptation to the first-team setup, first playing in several cup and Europa League games before stepping up. A natural centre-back, Wisdom showed his adaptability and comfort in possession to adapt to a right-back role, but may well revert to a central position in the coming months. With the more established Martin Kelly returning from injury, though, it will be interesting to see how Rodgers uses his two younger defensive options.

Like the other two clubs we have featured in the series thus far, Liverpool will also look to use the loan market this season to develop some of their better prospects. Diminutive playmaker Suso has moved on to La Liga side Almeria, as the arrivals of Luis Alberto and Iago Aspas would have limited his first team opportunities. Interestingly, the 19-year-old played a deeper midfield role for Spain's Under-20 side this summer and could well continue to be used in that manner by his new club side.

Reserve team captain Conor Coady, 20, has also headed out on a six-month loan with League One side Sheffield United. A tenacious customer, who can also play centre-back, local boy Coady must prove that he has the ability to succeed at the first-team level. Left-back Jack Robinson, 19, has a similar task on his hands in the Championship with Blackpool, while gangly forward Michael Ngoo will hope to impress at Yeovil.

There are still several impressive talents remaining at the club who will feature predominantly for the Under-21 side, although some first-team outings should not be discounted.

Jordon Ibe, now 17, would seem most likely to make an impact, having featured heavily in pre-season. Ibe rose to fame in August 2011 when he became the youngest player in Wycombe's history, before moving to Liverpool just months later. Two-footed, quick and excellent with the ball at his feet, the comparisons with Sterling are easy to make and Ibe will hope to make a similar impact to his colleague in the coming months.

Returning from injury, Germany youth international Samed Yesil will hope for minutes later in the campaign, but must first ensure he fully recovers from cruciate ligament damage. A 19-year-old centre-forward, his finishing prowess is undoubted, but he still has much to learn before being ready to make an impact at senior level.

In a similar position is former Sporting attacking midfielder Joao Carlos Teixeira, 20, who will be hoping for a chance to prove himself in the first-team. After a back injury halted his progress initially at the club, he impressed greatly at the Under-21 level last season in his central attacking midfield role. Well-suited to Rodgers' preferred style of play, it would be little surprise to see the Portuguese youngster given some minutes later in the campaign. Along with 18-year-old right-back Ryan McLaughlin, though, Teixeira may find that first-team depth in his position limits opportunity.

As far as opportunities to make an impact at first-team level are concerned, the players listed will probably be the only few in the coach's mind at present. For the likes of winger Seyi Ojo, midfielder Jordan Rossiter and striker Jerome Sinclair, all 16, it is still far too early -- in spite of their burgeoning reputations. The same, also, likely applies to 17-year-old centre-back Lloyd Jones.

Somewhat unknown quantities to most in England, meanwhile, will be recent 16-year-old signings Sergi Canos and Pedro Chirivella. Signed from Barcelona and Valencia respectively, the striker and midfielder come with sizeable reputations and will be key members of the club's side in both Under-18 Premier League and NextGen Series action.

Liverpool have put a lot of effort into youth recruitment and improving their academy setup in recent years, including hiring Under-21 manager Alex Inglethorpe following his success at Tottenham. With Rodgers having shown willingness to utilise the club's young talents at first-team level, the academy is currently a source of much hope for the club's supporters. It has been long overdue, but the club now appear to be finally getting back on track.

For further discussion on any of the players featured in The Scout’s Notebook, Christopher can be found on Twitter – @chris_elastico. More of his work profiling rising talents can also be found at TheElastico.com.

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:59 pm wrote:

john craig » Sun Aug 11, 2013 9:18 pm wrote:Who knows for sure mate, certainly not me.

I'm not interested in any of that nonsense anyway to be honest.

He's going to be a player though that lad. I'm surprised he wasn't involved with the first team preseason, a better bet than Kelly or Flanagan long term for the RB slot I think.

yeah it was a bit odd that, he went with the squad last year to the states (and did well against roma) so you would have thought he`d travel with them this year as well, maybe he was injured or something.
as a matter of interest john how many pro footy teams has belfast got? is it like liverpool with two or is it like london with a load of them?

Northern ireland doesn't have any pro teams mate! Which is why most of us follow an English or Scottish team! Belfast's 'big 4' is Linfield, glentoran,  cliftonville and crusaders.

Some players from the 'bigger' local sides will be on pro contracts but very few these days.

Linfield,  glentoran,  cliftonville and crusaders are regarded as the 'big 4' in terms of Belfast clubs.

Some players from the 'bigger' teams will be on pro contracts but very few.
It