Academy column: A training session with Steven Gerrard

I’ve been at the Academy for eight years now and it really is an unbelievable environment to work in. There’s a real heartbeat about the place, we have some brilliant people here and it is an absolute privilege to come in every day and coach some highly talented young players. Before I came to Liverpool I had previously worked with the young players at Preston North End for six years. I came to the Academy when Rafael Benitez was in charge of the first team so that probably makes me one of the longest-serving coaches here along with Mike Garrity. I lead our U16s group and work closely with Barry Lewtas and club legend Steve Heighway, which is just unbelievable. We also have Ray Sherwood and Brad Wall who make up our team, and they all contribute a massive amount of support to the success development are getting. It really is a team effort.

We all have the job titles as development coaches but I’m actually seeing boys I have coached now involved with the first team, which is absolutely brilliant. I have worked with the likes of Jordan Rossiter, Cameron Brannagan, Jordan Williams, Ryan Kent and Harry Wilson from an early age and it really is unbelievable for me to see how they are developing. They are making big steps in the game and they are only going to get better and better. Besides their talent they are great lads as well, very level-headed and will give it everything they have got to try to achieve the ultimate aim of playing regularly in our first team. Only two years ago Cameron was playing in my U16 group because at the time he wasn’t as physically developed as other boys, but he has worked so hard and it was an incredible feeling when he made his first-team debut in Bordeaux this season. It is a great opportunity for me in my team talks when I debrief with the lads, when I can explain to them the journeys, the hard work and sacrifices the likes of Cameron have made to get where they are now.

I have also been very fortunate that in the last 12 months I have worked closely with Steven Gerrard. Steven has been doing his coaching B licence and he used my age group for three months. I was absolutely blown away because he has been absolutely incredible with the young lads. Only last week Steven came into the Academy and he was a player in the U16s session. I was doing the coaching with Steve Heighway and our Academy director Alex Inglethorpe, so you can imagine the intensity and the tempo of the session. It just went up 20 or 30 per cent. Steven knows all of the boys by their name and he was chatting with them and giving them some tips, and you just can’t buy that experience. We were chatting afterwards about how certain players are developing so for me as a coach that is invaluable.

This season we have seen the likes of two schoolboys in Ben Woodburn and Liam Coyle playing regularly for Neil Critchley’s U18s squad. They are two smashing lads and they are doing really well. I’ve worked with Ben for the last two seasons, he comes in every day and gives it everything he has got. I believe he is destined to make big steps in the game along with our young Scouser Liam, who has got so much desire and passion for the game. We have other boys in the group who are really starting to blossom and try to follow in their footsteps by stepping up at U18 level. Every week we always try to get one training session when the U16 and U18 age groups can combine as one. This is great because it takes the boys out of their comfort zone and they are really put to the test. There is a great competitive edge to it as well because the U18s don’t want to lose to the younger lads so there is a real spice to the session.