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Liverpool F.C. Reserves and Academy

Liverpool F.C.'s reserve football team

Field	Value
clubname	Liverpool Academy
image_size	170px
fullname	Liverpool Football Club Academy
nickname	LFC Academy
founded	1998
ground	The Academy, Kirkby
manager	Rob Page (U21)
Simon Wiles (U18)
league	Professional Development League
season	2024–25
position	16th
website
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Simon Wiles (U18)

Liverpool F.C. Under-21s is the reserve & senior youth team of Liverpool F.C. It is the most senior level of the Liverpool academy beneath the first team. In the summer of 2012, the whole English reserve football system was overhauled and replaced with an Under-21 league system, the Professional Development League. Liverpool's reserve team became the Liverpool under-21 team and competes in the Professional Development League 1 which is also known by its sponsorship name of Barclays Under-21 Premier League and Premier League 2. The team generally consists of Under-21 players at the club but at times senior players also play for the reserves when they are recuperating from injury. Following the introduction of new regulations from the 2012–13 season, only three outfield players and one goalkeeper over the age of 21 can play for the reserves regularly.

Liverpool F.C. Academy is the youth set up Liverpool Football Club. It trains players from the U6 age group up to the U21 squad. The academy has separate head coaches in charge of development in the U6-U9, U10-U11, U12-U14 and U15-U16 age groups. At U21 and U18 level there are dedicated coaching teams managed by Michael Beale with the U21 position vacant as of 2 March 2020. Alex Inglethorpe was promoted from U21 manager to Academy Director in the summer of 2014 and holds overall responsibility for operation of the academy. The academy has won the FA Youth Cup, a competition for players of age 15 to 18, four times in 1996, 2006, 2007 and 2019.

Liverpool F.C. Academy is considered to be one of the most productive football academies of the richer clubs both in England and in the world. Various current and past Liverpool players have graduated through the academy, including Billy Liddell, Ronnie Moran, Ian Callaghan, Phil Thompson, Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman, Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Trent Alexander-Arnold, among many others.

Reserve team (Under-21s)

Liverpool Under-21s played in Premier League 2. The Reserves won the regional division title in 2000 and again 2008 winning also the national league that year. It competed in the Lancashire Combination from 1896 to 1911, with the exception of the 1898–99 season, in which it joined The Combination. From 1911 on, it took part in the Central League until becoming inaugural members of the Premier Reserve League North in 1999. The team also participated in the Liverpool Senior Cup and the Lancashire Senior Cup; the last time it took part in them was the 2009–10 season when it also won both competitions.

The last reserve team manager was Rodolfo Borrell, who was appointed in July 2011 and led the reserve team during its final season before taking over the newly formed under-21 side in July 2012. The reserves last played their home games at Prenton Park (the home of Tranmere Rovers); in previous seasons the team has also played at the club's academy, the Halliwell Jones Stadium (home of Warrington Wolves), Haig Avenue (the home of Southport), Totally Wicked Stadium (the home of St Helens R.F.C.) and the Racecourse Ground (home of Wrexham).

The most successful Liverpool Reserves manager was 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 manager 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 FC, many of the club's best known players have progressed through the reserve team. These include people who at one point were first team squad members including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Steve McManaman, Jamie Carragher and Raheem Sterling.

The Academy

Main article: The Academy, Kirkby

In 1998, a new state-of-the-art Youth Academy was opened in Kirkby, Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley. 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.

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 currently taken in as young as the age of six. 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.

On the walls of the indoor centre hang the words 'Technique', 'Attitude', 'Balance', and 'Speed'. 'TABS' is the key word preached at The Academy. Academy director Alex Inglethorpe has said the remit of the academy is to produce physically, technically, tactically and mentally elite players with enough quality to represent the senior side in the Champions League. Liverpool won the 2005 Champions league with two locally born academy graduates starting in the final.

Academy partnerships

The Academy has a long-lasting affiliation with MTK Budapest's Sándor Károly Football Academy and maintains a number of football schools worldwide through partnerships with football clubs and commercial and sports organisations. LFC International Football Academy currently has branches in Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Gran Canaria during winter), America (Texas and Plymouth, the latter through an affiliate with CS United Soccer Club), Egypt (Cairo), South Africa (Durban and Johannesburg), China (Guilin), India (Pune, in cooperation with DSK Shivajians), and Japan (Tokyo). Previously schools were also run in Abuja, Belfast, Boston, Charlotte, Cyprus, Dublin, Hong Kong, Iceland, Jakarta, Katwijk, Lisbon, Madrid, Malta, Mumbai, Manila, Nairobi, Saint Vincent, and Singapore.

{{anchor|Current squad}}Squad

– Do not add new players before his signing is OFFICIALLY announced by the club, including medical – Do not remove players before their exit is officially announced by the club – Do not change or add squad numbers until it is official on the club website's squad list – This is Wikipedia, not a football gazette. Anything unconfirmed and unsourced will be removed ON SIGHT – Vandals WILL be blessed with the template. THANK YOU. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------as of 1 September 2022 --

Other players under contract

Out on loan

Staff

Current coaching and medical staff

Academy director: Alex Inglethorpe England
Assistent Academy director: Nick Marshall England
Education manager: Caitlin Hawkins England
Academy player care manager: Marek Szmid England
U21s manager: Rob Page Wales
U21s and Academy goalkeeping coach: Mark Morris Wales
U21s player-coach: Jay Spearing England
U18s manager: Simon Wiles England
U18 assistant manager: Anthony Ryan England
U18s and Academy goalkeeping coach: Neil Edwards Wales
Head Academy physiotherapist & U21s head physio: Paul Kelly England
Performance coach: Yvie Ryan England
U21 and loans physiotherapist: Tony Jones England
U18 Education Officer: Ted Smith England
U18 Lead physiotherapist: Phil Bolland England
U18 assistant physiotherapist: Gregg Blundell England
Academy kit manager: Aubrey Rogers England
Head of pre-Academy recruitment: Steve Gorst England
Pre-Academy co-ordinator: Ricky Heywood England
Assistant Academy recruitment co-ordinator: Frederico Paciencia Portugal
Academy U16 head coach: Lewis Nightingale England
Academy U13 head coach: Michael Yates England
Academy U12 head coach: Phil Charnock England
Academy U11 head coach: John Miles England
Academy U10 head coach: Gephte Mbolokele England
Academy U9 head coach: Josh Wesselby England
Head of coaching for foundation stage: John Thompson England
Assistant head of pre-Academy coach: Roy Smith England
Goalkeeping coach: Ian Dunbavin England
Lead pre-Academy coach: James Williams England
Academy advanced coaching centre co-ordinator: Jon Newby England

Source: In addition, the Academy employ staff from the first-team.

Reserve team manager history

England Bob Paisley (1954–1957)
England Joe Fagan (1957–1974)
England Roy Evans (1975–1984)
England Chris Lawler (1984–1986)
England Phil Thompson (1986–1992)
England Sammy Lee (1993–1998)
England Joe Corrigan (1998–2002)
England Hughie McAuley (2003–2006)
England Gary Ablett (2006–2009)
England John McMahon (2009–2011)
Spain José Segura (caretaker) (2011)
Spain Rodolfo Borrell (2011–2012)
England Alex Inglethorpe (2012–2014)
England Michael Beale (2014–2016)
England Mike Garrity (caretaker) (2016–2017)
England Neil Critchley (2017–2020)
England Barry Lewtas (2020–2025)
Wales Rob Page (2025–present)

Awards

Liverpool Academy Players' Player of the Year

Players in bold are still playing for Liverpool.

Season	Name	Nationality	Position	Ref(s)	2013–14	2014–15	2015–16	2016–17	2017–18
			Midfielder
			Midfielder
			Defender
			Defender
			Winger

Honours

Reserves

;;League Champions

The Central League: 16 (1956–57, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1989–90,
Premier Reserve League National: 1 (2007–08)
Premier Reserve League North: 2 (1999–2000, 2007–08)
Lancashire Combination: 2 (1896–97, 1899–1900)

;;Cup Winners

Liverpool Senior Cup: 40 (1893, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1910*, 1912*, 1913, 1915, 1920, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1934*, 1936*, 1937, 1939, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1952, 1962, 1964*, 1968, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982*, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010)
Lancashire Senior Cup: 13 (1919, 1920*, 1924, 1931, 1933, 1944, 1947, 1956, 1959, 1973, 2010, 2017, 2022)
Liverpool Challenge Cup: 4 (1954, 1959, 1960, 1961)

Youth

;;League Champions

Lancashire League Division One: 6 (1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1977–78, 1982–83)
Lancashire League Division Two: 7 (1961–62, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1992–93)
Lancashire League Division Three: 1 (1960–61)

;;Cup Winners

FA Youth Cup: 4 (1996, 2006, 2007, 2019)
Liverpool Youth Cup: 3 (1954, 1956, 1958)
Lancashire Division One League Cup: 3 (1960, 1966, 1967)
Lancashire Division Two League Cup: 5 (1962, 1966, 1967, 1973, 1980)
Lancashire Division Three League Cup: 1 (1961)

*Asterisk denotes a shared title.

Noted graduates

Established at Liverpool

Liverpool's youth system has only seen moderate success over the years; with only a few players who have come through it have gone on to feature in the first-team. The following players have gone on to play over ten competitive matches for the first team. Pre-WW2

ENG Harold Barton
ENG Cyril Done
ENG Alf Hanson
ENG Jack Parkinson
ENG Syd Roberts 1940s
ENG Bill Jones
SCO Billy Liddell
ENG Jimmy Payne
ENG Eddie Spicer 1950s
ENG Alan A'Court
ENG Eric Anderson
ENG Gerry Byrne
ENG Bobby Campbell
ENG Don Campbell
ENG Jimmy Melia
ENG Ronnie Moran
ENG Roy Saunders 1960s
ENG Alf Arrowsmith
ENG Phil Boersma
ENG Ian Callaghan
SCO Bobby Graham
ENG Chris Lawler
SCO Ian Ross
ENG Tommy Smith
ENG Phil Thompson 1970s
ENG Jimmy Case
ENG David Fairclough
ENG Colin Irwin
ENG Sammy Lee
ENG John McLaughlin 1980s
ENG Gary Ablett
ENG Mike Marsh
IRL Steve Staunton
IRL Ronnie Whelan 1990s
ENG Jamie Carragher
ENG Robbie Fowler
ENG Steven Gerrard
SCO Dominic Matteo
ENG Steve McManaman
ENG Michael Owen
ENG David Thompson
ENG Stephen Wright 2000s
ESP Dani Pacheco
IRL Darren Potter
ARG Emiliano Insúa
ENG Jay Spearing
ENG Martin Kelly
ENG Neil Mellor
ENG Stephen Warnock 2010s
ENG Andre Wisdom
AUS Brad Smith
ENG Jack Robinson
ENG Jon Flanagan
ENG Jordon Ibe
ESP Pedro Chirivella
ENG Raheem Sterling
ESP Suso
ENG Sheyi Ojo
ENG Trent Alexander-Arnold
WAL Ben Woodburn
ENG Curtis Jones
WAL Neco Williams
IRL Caoimhín Kelleher 2020s
ENG Nathaniel Phillips
ENG Rhys Williams
NIR Conor Bradley
ESP Stefan Bajcetic
ENG Bobby Clark
ENG James McConnell
ENG Jarell Quansah
ENG Jayden Danns
ENG Rio Ngumoha
ENG Trey Nyoni
ENG Tyler Morton

Established elsewhere

Many of the 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. 1950s

ENG Joe Maloney
ENG Keith Burkinshaw 1960s
SCO Ted MacDougall 1970s
ENG John Gidman
ENG Tommy Tynan 1980s
ENG Alan Harper
ENG Colin Russell
ENG Craig Hignett
ENG Dave Watson
ENG Howard Gayle
ENG John Durnin
ENG Mark Seagraves
ENG Mike Newell
ENG Nigel Adkins
ENG Paul Jewell
IRL Brian Mooney
IRL Ken DeMange
IRL Kevin Sheedy 1990s
AUS Nicky Rizzo
ENG Alex Watson
ENG Phil Charnock
ENG Ryan Lowe
NIR Jim Magilton
SCO Paul Dalglish
TRI Tony Warner
WAL Danny Williams
WAL Gareth Roberts
WAL Jason Koumas 2000s
AUT Besian Idrizaj
ENG Adam Hammill
ENG Alan Navarro
ENG Calum Woods
ENG Charlie Barnett
ENG Craig Lindfield
ENG Danny Guthrie
ENG Danny O'Donnell
ENG David Mannix
ENG David Raven
ENG Ian Dawes
ENG Jack Hobbs
ENG James Smith
ENG Jon Newby
ENG Jon Otsemobor
ENG Lee Peltier
ENG Max Harrop
ENG Michael Burns
ENG Paul Anderson
ENG Ray Putterill
ENG Ryan Crowther
ENG Sean Highdale
ENG Steven Gillespie
ENG Steven Irwin
ESP Antonio Barragán
ESP Daniel Ayala
ESP Francisco Manuel Duran
ESP Godwin Antwi
ESP Miki Roqué
FIN Daniel Sjölund
GER Christopher Buchtmann
GER Marvin Pourié
IRL Jimmy Ryan
IRL Richie Partridge
IRL Shane O'Connor
PAR Ronald Huth
SCO Ryan Flynn
SWE Astrit Ajdarević
USA Zak Whitbread
WAL Layton Maxwell 2010s
ARG Gerardo Bruna
AUS Dean Bouzanis
AUS Jake Brimmer
BUL Nikolay Mihaylov
CZE Jakub Sokolík
DEN Martin Hansen
DEN Nikola Saric
DRC Henoc Mukendi
ENG Adam Morgan
ENG Adam Phillips
ENG Alex Whittle
ENG Andy Firth
ENG Anthony Glennon
ENG Cameron Brannagan
ENG Connor Randall
ENG Conor Coady
ENG Craig Roddan
ENG Daniel Trickett-Smith
ENG David Amoo
ENG Herbie Kane
ENG Isaac Christie-Davies
ENG Jack Dunn
ENG Jason Banton
ENG Jerome Sinclair
ENG Joe Maguire
ENG Jordan Lussey
ENG Jordan Rossiter
ENG Lloyd Jones
ENG Matty Virtue
ENG Michael Ihiekwe
ENG Michael Ngoo
ENG Nathan Eccleston
ENG Ovie Ejaria
ENG Robbie Threlfall
ENG Ryan Kent
ENG Sam Hart
ENG Shamal George
ENG Stephen Darby
ENG Tom Brewitt
ENG Tom Ince
ENG Tyrell Belford
ENG Yan Dhanda
ESP Emmanuel Mendy
ESP Madger Gomes
ESP Mikel San José
ESP Rafael Páez
ESP Sergi Canós
FIN Lauri Dalla Valle
GER Stephen Sama
GNB Toni Silva
GNB Yalany Baio
HUN András Simon
HUN Kristóf Polgár
HUN Krisztián Adorján
HUN Krisztián Németh
HUN Patrik Poór
HUN Péter Gulácsi
HUN Zsolt Pölöskei
IRE Alex O'Hanlon
IRE Conor Masterson
IRE Corey Whelan
IRE Daniel Cleary
IRE Joseph Rafferty
ISL Kristján Emilsson
ISL Victor Pálsson
NED Bobby Adekanye
NGR Emeka Obi
NOR Edvard Tagseth
NIR Ryan McLaughlin
PRT João Carlos Teixeira
PRT Paulo Alves
PRT Rafael Camacho
PRT Toni Gomes
SCO Alex Cooper
SCO Gary Mackay-Steven
SCO George Johnston
SCO Ryan Fulton
SWE Alexander Kačaniklić
SWE Kristoffer Peterson
TUR Yusuf Mersin
USA Brooks Lennon
USA Marc Pelosi
USA Villyan Bijev
WAL Danny Ward
WAL Harry Wilson
WAL Jordan Williams 2020s
ALG Yasser Larouci
BIH Dal Varešanović
ENG Adam Lewis
ENG Harvey Blair
ENG Herbie Kane
ENG Jack Bearne
ENG Jake Cain
ENG Kane Drummond
ENG Layton Stewart
ENG Leighton Clarkson
ENG Liam Coyle
ENG Luis Longstaff
ENG Oludare Olufunwa
ENG Paul Glatzel
ENG Remi Savage
ENG Tom Clayton
FRA Billy Koumetio
NED Ki-Jana Hoever
POL Mateusz Musiałowski
SRI Sam Durrant
WAL Morgan Boyes
WAL Vimal Yoganathan

Notes

References

Sources

Who's Who of Liverpool (2006): Tony Matthews
LFCHistory.net

References

(7 September 2014). "Alex Inglethorpe insists it is important for Liverpool FC to bring through local talent". Liverpool Echo.
"Reserves Travel – Liverpool FC". Liverpool FC.
(23 September 2014). "Photos: Jordan's rise through LFC's ranks". Liverpool F.C..
Griffiths, Ian. (22 March 2003). "Just for kicks". The Guardian.
(April 2018). "Sándor Károly Football Academy".
"LFC International Academy – International Courses". Liverpool F.C..
"LFC International Football Academy Scandinavia". Liverpool F.C..
"LFC International Football Academy America". Liverpool F.C..
"CS United Soccer Club". CS United Soccer Club.
"LFC International Football Academy Egypt". Liverpool F.C..
"LFC International Football Academy South Africa". Liverpool F.C..
"LFC International Football Academy Guilin". Liverpool F.C..
"LFC International Football Academy DSK Shivajians". Liverpool F.C..
"LFC International Football Academy Japan". Liverpool F.C..
"Academy – Liverpool FC". Liverpool F.C..
(21 January 2026). "Luke Chambers completes loan move to Charlton Athletic". Liverpool F.C..
(1 February 2026). "Calum Scanlon joins Cardiff City on loan". Liverpool F.C..
(1 August 2025). "Isaac Mabaya completes loan move to Wigan". Liverpool F.C..
(30 January 2026). "Lewis Koumas joins Hull City on loan". Liverpool F.C..
(14 August 2025). "Luca Stephenson signs new LFC contract and returns to Dundee United on loan". Liverpool F.C..
"Dynasty: The Joe Fagan Years 1983-1985". LiverpoolHistory.net.
(6 May 2014). "Suarez bags treble at awards dinner". Liverpool F.C..
(8 May 2014). "Rossiter: This prize means the world". Liverpool F.C..
(18 May 2015). "2015 Players Awards". Official Site Liverpool FC.
(12 May 2016). "Quartet of accolades for Philippe Coutinho at LFC Players' Awards". Liverpool FC.
(9 May 2017). "Sadio Mane takes top prizes at LFC Players' Awards". Liverpool F.C..
(10 May 2018). "Mohamed Salah takes top prizes at LFC Players' Awards". Liverpool F.C..

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