Academy column: How youngsters grasped their chance
In this week’s column, we hear from Academy director Alex Inglethorpe on his pride at seeing Connor Randall, Cameron Brannagan and Joao Carlos Teixeira make their Anfield bows against AFC Bournemouth.
It was a brilliant night for everybody involved at the Academy when three of our graduates more than held their own playing for the first team. I thought it was a very brave decision by our manager Jürgen Klopp, who showed great faith in the boys, and it was fantastic to see them play their part in helping secure the win and reach the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup. Cameron has been at the club since the age of five, Connor since he was six, and that was the culmination of work with a lot of people, a lot of coaches throughout the years at the Academy. A lot of time has been invested by not only the players but their parents, and there would have been a lot of proud people watching on Wednesday night, not just the current staff but a lot of people who aren’t at the club anymore. I would also like to mention Peter Leather and his team who look after our pitches, Marie and Collette who wash the kit, Martin and his kitchen staff, Andrew Powlesland and his team, and big John and Jay our security men - they have all played a part in helping these young lads fulfil a dream.
I spoke with Connor after the game and he was so proud. In the first half he was up against a talented player in Marc Pugh, who made life very difficult for him, but one of his qualities is he will never give up, he won’t quit, and I thought in the second half he not only defended really well but got forward to good effect too. He also had some good moments in their penalty area with some great runs and he can be very pleased with his efforts.
Cameron is the captain of the U21s and he is one of the most low maintenance players I can remember working with. He doesn’t get flustered and he is getting more aggressive and stronger with every month that passes and he looked the part on Wednesday night. I was pleased for him and he had a very assured game in midfield and didn’t look out of place at all.
Joao is a little bit different to Cameron and Connor because he came to Liverpool from Sporting Lisbon at an early age, and he last played for the first team in a senior game when he made his debut against Fulham two seasons ago. It was brilliant to see him play a big part in the winning goal. You expect the unexpected with Joao. One minute you think he might have taken the ball just too wide and the next thing he will produce a moment of cheekiness like he did with the flick for the goal. He is a talented boy with wonderful imagination and every performance I see from him he is getting more mature. He was unlucky not to score again with the effort into the side netting and then the great free-kick which brought about a really good save. That shows you the personality he has in stepping forward and taking the responsibility.
Joao had a great time in the Championship with Brighton last season and then he suffered a really bad injury when he broke his ankle. He deserves a lot of credit for the way he bounced back, he worked so hard during the summer, and that was his reward on Wednesday night. He has a lot of self belief and he looked comfortable out there.
The great thing with this trio is they won’t get carried away with themselves, which is the most important thing. Complacency can be a bit of a disease and I’ve no doubt that all three of the lads are aware they still have a lot of learning to do and there’s a lot of hard work ahead of them, but it’s a nice recognition of what they have done up to now.
It was also good to see Jerome Sinclair with the squad again and he was on the bench after a recent injury. Jerome had a very good season last year and he is someone who will always pose a threat when called upon.
Let’s not forget Jordan Rossiter as well. He was making great progress before he picked up his hamstring injury, but he will be back soon and determined once again to try to impress the manager. He is another player who has been here since the age of six and we are looking forward to getting him back.
It’s easy to forget Jordon Ibe came through the Academy and he had a terrific game against Bournemouth. Jordon had moments in the game when he showed how quick and explosive he is. When he gets the ball the crowd are willing him to take people on and be aggressive, and I thought he was returning to what we all know he is capable of. He had some great moments and it all bodes well for the future.
We made the announcement on Wednesday that Steve Heighway is back at the Academy in a full-time capacity as a consultant. Steve is an absolute fountain of knowledge and someone we can all learn from in the development of young players. I was very keen to bring him back in and it is an absolute honour and a privilege to have him working with us.