'Jürgen gives hope and trust to our young players - that is key'
Pepijn Lijnders has explained how a youngster's determination to improve, combined with the coaching staff's faith, can help them obtain regular opportunities within the Liverpool first team.
The assistant manager has revealed the Reds are set to field an XI with 'youth and experience' for Thursday evening's Carabao Cup tie with Arsenal at Anfield.
In the previous round away at Lincoln City, Jürgen Klopp handed 19-year-old defender Rhys Williams a senior debut, while Academy graduate Curtis Jones netted two fine goals.
Looking ahead to the encounter with Arsenal, Lijnders discussed the topic of youth development with reporters on Wednesday. Read on for his thoughts...
On a youngster making the step up to the first team...
Compliment to our Academy, all the staff who were there, compliment for our recruitment in the Academy, which takes all these Scouse boys but also talent from around to our club. A big compliment for the players themselves because the boys we have in the Academy, they have big, big heart – it's unbelievable. When I came from Porto to Liverpool, they have the quality to make each training session like a final. In Portugal it was good, in Liverpool it was excellent, was unbelievable. Then if you want to bring players through, the most important thing is that there's hope. You can coach really well, you can do everything right but if the first-team staff doesn't create hope for the young players in the Academy then it becomes really difficult. If you see somebody who made it – say Trent or Curtis – that gives an indirect influence to all these young boys in the Academy because they see the pathway.
Then it's important that we give them the trust as a first-team staff to get them early with us and not when they are 21, 22, 23, that they get [here] when they are 16, 17, 18 and are proper talents that they're already training with us, that the style of play is not new. That relationship is there between the first team and the Academy – that they don't have to play a different way, counter-pressing, for example, is completely natural already. All these small things will help the players to establish themselves in the squad. The most important thing is Jürgen, who gives this hope to the players and gives this trust to the young players. That relationship is key in terms of development.
On what's required for young players to get to the level needed to be a regular starter…
Step by step, focusing on the small things and creating space in the squad, that's the main thing. Nobody thought Trent Alexander-Arnold three years ago or four years ago would have been in this positon as the most talented player in English football as a right defender, winning that award, for example. It means trust them in good periods and bad periods. We know exactly what we can expect from every single one of them. In the difficult times, really show faith and give chances again. That's what happens if you're with us, if you commit to our team and to our staff. We will not give up on players easily. But the most important thing is to create space in the squad. Example: instead of buying a second right defender, we have Neco Williams. Instead of buying a right midfielder, we have Curtis Jones. We create space in the squad and you're part of the squad depending on which competition we play – because in the Champions League we can have 23 but in the Premier League we can have 18. But what I'm trying to say is that if you're in the squad you will get game time and you will develop.
On managing a young player's patience...
I think the biggest strength of this squad is that everybody respects each other's role. Even if you start or somebody comes on, everybody knows the importance of each one. The character in this group is outstanding and that helps, of course, because even if you're not always starting, each member of staff, each player really respects you and knows how important you are. The gaffer always says a banana skin is that a young player wants to go too early, too soon. I think we balance this and the way we give in the right moments – so the right players around – the opportunities. That creates an unbelievable process and was what we saw last year. Curtis is a good example of that.
