Academy Column: Why LFC is a unique club

With a near constant flow of players in and out of the team, the former Tottenham man has been presented with the challenge of working with different faces on a regular basis.

However, as he explains, it's a challenge he is relishing.

Alex also opens up about his first experience of the annual Hillsborough memorial service which took place at Anfield on Monday.

This season our U21s group has constantly changed and evolved. Players have found themselves either going or coming back from loan spells, or dipping on and out of Melwood or more recently involved in FA Youth Cup games. Jordon Ibe is a great example of someone who has played for the U21s, the U18s and also been substitute for the first team against Southampton.

Essentially the reserve group needs to be transient as the needs of the players in that group are all so different. My role as a developer is to try and help them with the next phase of their career, whatever that may be.

Suso, Andre Wisdom and Conor Coady are good examples of players who train every day at Melwood but sometimes come in to play with the U21s.They all played really well when we managed to beat West Brom 2-0 last week, and more importantly their attitude and desire to play was first class. 

Of course, they would rather that the game was with the first team. But they can see the importance of maintaining their match fitness as they never know when they will be called upon to play, so it's important that they remain in top condition should they get the chance. 

It's sometimes easy to forget how young these players are, so it's important that we have an eye on their development and remain respectful that they are still in the learning phase of their career.

Mike Marsh, Colin Pascoe and John Achterberg are always at the reserve games, so it's a great opportunity for the players to perform in front of first-team staff, knowing that a good performance will increase their chances of being involved with the senior side at some point.

And I think in that sense, they are at a unique club whose manager is prepared to promote and trust in young players. Brendan Rodgers has shown this season that he will give players a chance irrespective of age and experience if they show potential.

For a young player at Liverpool it must be refreshing to see that there is a possible pathway in to the first team. However, that is not something that will be given away easily. It is the players' responsibility to work to their maximum every day whilst retaining a sense of humility at the fact that they are trying to play for the first XI at such a famous club.

Moving away from football now, I don't feel I could write this week's column without touching upon last Monday's Hillsborough memorial service at Anfield.

Especially given what has happened in the week with the tragic passing of Anne Williams, who campaigned so tirelessly for justice.

It's really hard to put into words how it felt to be at the service on Monday. I found it particularly heart-breaking sitting behind all the relatives of the 96. You sub-consciously look at their reactions to poignant moments within the service and it breaks your heart to see them.

Some were crying. Some were doing their best to keep it together, but with all, you could see that they were carrying a pain that would never go away.

I found the service incredibly inspirational as well, especially when you think about the journey that the club, supporters and families have gone through to get to the point that they are all at. Hopefully, this coming year will bring more good news for the families.

For me, that was the first experience I have had of it and it certainly won't be one that I will forget.

Everton chairman Bill Kenwright spoke very well and you could feel that when the supporters started chanting 'Merseyside' that there was a real feeling of togetherness.

It wasn't about being red or blue. It was about belonging to an area.

A lot of the young Academy players, who attended the service, will not have been born at the time of the disaster. The Academy, and in particular Phil Roscoe and Clive Cook, do a great job in educating both the young players and boys from abroad in the significance of these tragic events and the importance this has in our club's history.

When they go to the memorial, it's a very humbling experience for them, the supporters applaud the young players when they walk in and having spoken to a few of them afterwards they felt that it should have been the other way around and that they should have been the ones applauding the supporters for their devotion to Liverpool.