'Watch how they cope with it, lads'

A large group of U18s and U21s players have taken up an allocation to watch the Reds take on their fierce rivals Everton.

And, as Phil explains, there will be plenty for the youngsters to learn as they watch the first team take to the Anfield turf...

For some of the lads going to the game, it will be their first experience of a Merseyside derby and the atmosphere and the passion that is created, not just in the crowd but on the pitch.

I've no doubt it will be a very special experience for the lads who haven't seen one before.

But there is something to be gained out of the whole experience. The boys have to look at the game, and if they want to progress out of the Academy and be part of the first team, they have to be able to cope in such a competitive and passionate environment.

The players have to be able to identify that you have to perform even when everything is going on around you and produce a performance which is of the level expected. 

The lads train and work hard every day, they play games at youth level each weekend against good opposition but nothing can re-create the scenario of playing in a game like the Merseyside derby to test if a player can deal with that environment. 

When they go along and watch how senior players deal with the pressure and how they perform, it gives them a way of understanding how to cope and hopefully it will prompt them to think: "That could be me one day." 

Now there's every chance that some of the lads who walk out into the stands at Anfield today and watch the atmosphere build to fever pitch will be taken aback by what they see and hear - especially if it's their first time.

But if you're going to play for a club like Liverpool, you have to be able to deal with games like these, whether it's against the Blues or Manchester United or Chelsea to name a few - you have to be able to compete in massive games.

It's part and parcel of Liverpool life, but there's no doubt it requires a lot of character.

In October last year, Andre Wisdom, Suso and Raheem Sterling all started at Goodison Park in the 2-2 draw.

That was some achievement and a special moment for them.

It highlighted the manager's commitment to the Academy and emphasised the direction in which the club is heading, in terms of giving youngsters a chance.

It was great for us as staff to sit and watch the lads we knew so well get the chance to play in such a fixture like that at such a young age.

I know all the players at the Academy are desperate to play for the first team in the derby, whether they are boys who are local or who are form further afield.

But when Frank McParland, our Academy director, speaks and the manager speaks about us being desperate for young Scouse kids to come through and play in the first team, they mean it 100 per cent.

That's something that we're all desperate for and we're all striving for. As a club, we're trying to make that happen. And in games like the one against Everton this afternoon, you'll see just how important the local lads are - the likes of Steven Gerrard and Carra, who will face the Blues for a final time.

Away from the derby, our games are coming to an end. The U18s finished their season with a 2-0 defeat away to Sunderland yesterday, but the U21s still have games to play.

Both groups will carry on training for the next few weeks. We'll try as much as we can to mirror what the first team are doing, in terms of their schedule.

The Academy sports-science department, led by Andy O'Boyle, will be devising and providing the players with individual training programmes to take away, so that they know how to look after themselves over the summer.

Andy Renshaw and his team will be planning how to care for the players who are still injured and need treatment over the coming months.

Rodolfo Borrell is working with the coaches constantly and is already preparing for next season by planning tournaments, player development and projected groups. 

Recruitment never stops at the Academy either and Frank, as well as running the Academy, will be working with Matt Newbury, David Moss and the club's head of recruitment regarding tournaments over the summer and potential players to watch. 

Clive Cook and myself are looking at things from the education and welfare perspective - integrating the new batch of scholars and improving on the work done in the previous season. 

We'll look at transport for the players who need to go home and we'll liaise with families about next season. We'll be planning for the next year, so that when the boys come back for pre-season, we're ahead of the game. When they walk through the doors for their first training session, they know exactly what to do and what is required from them.

It's like this every year - a continuous cycle. And our job is to ensure it all goes to plan and as smoothly as possible.