Youth rules at Liverpool as Rafa's empire-building starts with Paul Anderson, Idrizaj, Hobbs and Antwi

I think you need to read Stevie's book-to say Heighway didn't rate him is a blatant lie and Houllier didn't even go & see him it was Sammy Lee and Patrice Burges! get your facts right!

That's rubbish that Heighway never rated Gerrard, Everyone in Liverpool FC knew Gerrard was somehthing special. Even Check gerrard's autobiography to see the relationship he had with heighway.

correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Houllier see Gerrard for the first time because he (GH) was persuaded by Heighway that he (SG) be taken along to the first team training with Stephen Wright, who was the only player that he (GH) was interested in from the youth set-up? Bit of a lucky discovery really dont you think?!

what a load of tosh you speak sir, you should be ashamed of yourself, you really need to get yourself down to the academy and reserves to see whats really going on. ps I'll post directions from Birmingham to Liverpool if you need them if I could rate your "article" minus 10 I would!

Your statement is both innacurate and false. I suugest you read Stevie G's book before you make statements about how GH found him. He didn't and he gives great credit to Steve Heighway. As for your statement about the lack of talent in the youth ranks - haven't they just won the FA youth cup for the 2nd year running? There are several players in that team, all local boys who given the opportunity could make the step up to first team level. The reason for casting the net wider is to find that one special talent, not a team. Three years from now I can bet you that no more than 1 or 2 of the new influx of players will have played for the first team with any regularity.

Eh Mark, I think he did mention the 2 FA Youth Cups quite clearly at the end of the 5th paragraph. Oh dear...

It's true that there's a mistake in the article about Gerrard but other than that I agree with the article. Despite having won the FA youth cup twice in a row, that doesn't mean the youth team can't be improved. Keep the best youth players and replace the others with young European talent. That way we'll have our brightest local talent as well as some of the world's brightest European talents as part of our youth system. P.S. Mark, if 1 or 2 of the new influx of players make it then it would be more than worth the investment.

The article is poorly researched - not just with the Gerrard story but I honestly thought it was 12 months old - Anderson has not had glowing reports quite the opposite this season, Hammill a local lad played in the Scottish cup final last week and is as advanced as anybody. Miki Roque one of Rafa's imports has a growing rep but isn't mentioned and Jay Spearing another local lad has just broken into the reserve set up after an excellent U-18 season. Idrizaj's contract is up this summer. There is an influx of talent from abroad and its getting younger and younger. there are major changes at the academy but this article is factually terrible. Giggs came through in a different year than scholes, beckham, neville, nor did the two Neville come through together - apart from that........

No mention of Guthrie or El Zhar either. I've noticed the poor research in articles on this site a lot recently. It's a bit like the polls elsewhere asking who do you think would improve the team and then people writing in with suggestions of players that the club has already declared their interest in. Do they let just anybody write articles on here?

Guys, my issue isn't about whether or not we should cast our net wider, of course we should, my beef was with the accuracy of the article. Benitez has not simply cast his net because of a dearth in local talent but to enhance it. I will be happy to see 1 or 2 stars of the future from the youth set up regardles f where they come from.

What do you mean Heighway did not rate Gerrard. You certainly have your wires crossed, or someone's been lying to you! Read SG's autobiography and you'll read what went on when the old boss with the dodgy ticker came to Melwood

Apologies to those that are offended that i said Heighway did not rate Gerrard, i based my article on what was said at the time, and it was such a shocking misjudgement of Gerrards talents that it has stuck to me ever since, but this article is not about Gerrard its about the Liverpool Academy and what it was supposed to produce. Remember the Academy was based on the very succesful Ajax youth system but on a much grander scale. It was supposed to have a target of producing one player each season that would play in the first team, but so far all we have done is produce players for the championship league and below. Heighway is a Liverpool legend as a player but his job at the club was to produce players capable of improving the first team but since Gerrard he has not come even close to nurturing a player capable of being in the starting 11. Rafa has seen what a bad state the youth set-up is and has moved to improve it. The Academy costs, on who you can believe anything between 3 and 7 million a year, it has

ran now since 1998 without producing a player for our first team, so if you do the sums even with the most conservative option it is 27 million, a price of a world class player, and instead we have nothing to show for it except an awful lot of lower league players that can say they once played for Liverpool.

sorry mate but the part bout Stevie G not bin r8d at the academy is bull. Stevie in his Autobiography says Heighway was always ratin him n tellin him how gd he was. N even dat Roy Evans sed dat e was gona put Stevie in 2 da 1st team soon as his back injuries cleared up shows wat u no Stevie was destined 4 Anfield greatness way b4 the frensh showed up n u can thank GH 4 fuckin up da youth set up at LFC no gd player since Stevie says it all!!! in RAfa we trust

There is some factual inaccuracies unquestionably but some of the comments on here are just as silly. I also think you shouldn't always read everything written in an autobiography and take it for granted. I remember when Houllier was taking an enormous amount of criticism in the press, that Gerrard said he owed his career to Houllier, something that everyone wants to forget just because it's convenient. And I'm afraid I find it difficult to get too excited about Heighway for "discovering" Gerrard. Dear god, my nan could have discovered Gerrard...he's an incredible natural talent. The art of youth development isn't finding a Gerrard. Gerrard was always going to be a great player. The art of youth development is moulding players who might fail to make the grade without the right coaching. You can't honestly think the academy has been a success because we've one two youth cups?!!? Most of the players in that competition won't even make any sort of career out of football let alone play for one of

Your article misses the point. Liverpool are a much better side now than ever they were under Houllier therefore the youth and reserves who may have made it in previous eras are simply not good enough hence their tendency to end up with lesser teams. If we were Everton then Hammill, Anderson, Antwi, Spearing, Astridevic etc would all already be fringe players. Similarly the international recruitment of youngsters reflects the widening of scouting networks at all levels. The departure of Heighway reflects Rafa's increasing need to control every aspect of the club, its reminiscent of Shankly in its obsessivness lets hope the results are the same.

Jonathon spot on m8 but 2 b honest as a Liverpool fan thru n thru i am honestly quite happy about our youth team fair enuf not ov late cuz since Gerrard the skl of excellence has been a skl ov dump but b4 that it was class all around now RB will change things the EX real Madrid youth coach has gained talents such as Raul n Guti n am sure e bought a young Aimar to the Mestalla. Time will tell and hopefully Liverpools youth will be great again we can ive and hope i guess YNWA.

First I've heard of Ged going to the Academy to see Warnock, and Heighway certainly held Gerrard in the highest esteem, Paul Anderson has been comparatively rubbish this season compared to last, so is not the most likely to break through to the first team squad. I'd say Adam Hammill, who you don't even mention, has more chance, as he performed minor heroics while on loan at Dunfermline this season. Besian Idrizaj is not all that, although he did OK for Luton when he went there on loan. He's extremely inconsistent and a bit of a less prolific Pipo Inzaghi - crap, but scores goals. Hobbs, Antwi and Ajdarevic all look good if still too raw for the first team. Might be time to promote them to Melwood though (if they're not already, I'm assuming not)...

Look before i start i knowthe mere appearance of a man u badge is enought to make some of your blood boil, i just want to say i am not intrested in starting an arguement, and i am not here to have a go... just wanted to speak to tom harness.. hi tom i just want to pick up one one area you said the cost was roughly 27 million spear over 9 years for your team, but how much have you got back from championship teams in transfers even some of the championship transfers can get 1 million what is the nett cost, and would you rather have 1player every 10 years of a stevie gerrard from liverpool or man=ybe the classof 93 for us,can your youth team be fixed, would you really want to shut it down in favour of investing in the first team (not having a go here tom just want you opinion as you know even though you are a liverpool fan you are agood writer)

What we have received in transfers is probably 20 percent of our outlay at a generous guess, but thats not what this is about. The Academy was built to produce players that could play for the first team, it has not produced one. Shutting it down is not an option, it can be good if it is run properly, i dont think it can ever reach its original goal of a player each season, but a Gerrard now and again would be nice. But to do this it has to be run in the proper manner, that means having the best possible people in charge and that means Rafa Benitez the man that will ultimately decide the faith of these young stars be given a chance to train them up to the standards that he expects.

Just double checking, it seemed like that is what your comments in reply to people was what you was aiming for, it is also worth noting that even peole like sir alex has complained that the youth systems in england need a major overhaul or face being made obcelete, and i think he is right, but we genral;y do gt more success out of ours, like richardson and wes browne fletcher, but to get a name the statue of gerrard we now have to go back to the class of 93. its just intresting seeing that it is not just us that has problems getting young blood through, i was hoping that chris eagles would be given a shout as i would like to see more english lads in our team but with the arrival of nani (not that i am compaining at that) the chances seem quite slim now. like i say though it was not to have a go i do genrally like your stuff and you dont seem to man u bash just for the sake of it.

Rafa is reversing his own Academy's unproductive history by mimicking Manyoo & Gooner's youth conveyor system. Manyoo's '96 bumper english crop - Beckham, Butt, Neville bros & Scholes will never be replicated again in today's globalized nature. Gooner's youth system is more current with foreign-sourced youth players scouted from all over. However, the result is still unclear eg.'07 Carling Cup campaign & final's loss. The ideal youth formula would be to mix british never-say-die courage with foreign technique, creativity & skills. However, the reality is for the Youth Academy to churn out good squad-type players while using financial resources to buy the next young Ronaldo,Rooney,Kaka or Messi, etc. Coming up with the next Steven Gerrard will be near impossible these days. Between Gooner's brooding of foreign-sourced youths and Manyoo's strategy of buying great young players like Ronaldo, Rooney & now, Anderson & Nani, the difference will become clear.

Absolute drivel, Houllier did not bring Gerrard through, Gerrard has said himself that it was NOT houllier who spotted his talent, it was non other than steve heighway. Plonker.