Beale: What we've learned from post-season tour
Michael Beale says he has used Liverpool U21s' post-season tour of the United States as an opportunity to learn from what has been a successful campaign for the Academy.
Several players who made a significant impact at first-team level across the course of 2015-16 were included in the travelling party for a double-header against Sacramento Republic this week.
And Beale has revealed that he has been tapping into their experiences of making the step up in order to build on the opportunities afforded by Jürgen Klopp and his staff this year.
He told the Liverpool Echo: "It was great to sit with Kevin Stewart, Cameron Brannagan and Connor Randall. They are boys who I have a fantastic relationship with and we spoke about being at Melwood and how we could have supported them better before they went across.
"We have been sharing ideas and it is a great chance for our staff to get feedback.
"A lot of our players have graduated this year and the U21 staff are proud of that.
"We feel if the group was a settled, with the same players in training everyday, that we might be doing something wrong.
"It isn’t about having an U21s team, it is about actually having players in our U21s that can get in our first team and make an impact.
"We have seen this year that Jürgen has shown huge faith in them and that is fantastic.
"I am now looking at the bottom end of the group now, the boys who are really young and may be with me next year, boys like Herbie Kane, Adam Phillips, Conor Masterson and Toni Gomes.
"They will come into the U21s and I will start my journey with them.
"Cam Brannagan and the other lads are starting their journey with Jürgen and the first-team staff and that is how it should be. We should be handing players over each season."
Beale also explained how the brief trip to the United States has been beneficial for his young squad.
"I think it has been a great life experience. It has been fantastic for the boys," he added.
"The first two or three days were hard because of the jetlag, especially with the players coming in late from the Europa League final – they were 24 hours behind the rest of us.
"Sacramento and the people from the football club who have looked after us have been outstanding. It has probably been the best experience we have had on a tour or in hotels back in England.
"For the young players who have been here it has been fantastic. There has been a lot of laughs and smiles, and it has been a chance for me to sit down with players and reflect on their season.
"It was a chance to bring everybody together. The lads who were in the first team and out on loan and the group who will be coming in next year.
"We are a little bit of a family at the Academy, we have our WhatsApp group and we really celebrate each other’s successes. It was an opportunity reflect on and how we can improve on next year.
"We have a great relationship with Sacramento Republic and it was a chance to play two games in packed stadium, which we can’t get at home.
"And with the first team coming over here in July, just up the road In San Francisco, it was a chance to get that moving as well.
"It is crazy, they have got Liverpool supporters clubs in Sacramento and San Francisco. We have also had messages from fans in Nevada who wanted to come and see us.
"It is fantastic for the young players as well, we have done a lot of meet and greets with the fans. It is difficult for us to get out here often because of the distance.
"So when we are here we really need to make the most of it.
"Seeing the young fans is amazing and we need to keep that flame burning for the club.
"We went and did a coaching session with some homeless people, it was very character building for the lads.
"We know it is a special club, we see it everyday but these moments enhance that."