Spearing: The story so far

A two-time winner of the FA Youth Cup, instrumental in the reserve title of 2008 and now a regular at the hub of Kenny Dalglish's in-form first-team - Jay Spearing's Anfield dream has become very much a reality.

The tenacious midfielder has earned rave reviews in recent weeks; combining energetic, lung-bursting performances with guile and vision worthy of a Barclays Premier League veteran.

The 22-year-old has blossomed under the watchful eye of Dalglish whose faith has been repaid in kind by a string of displays that epitomise what it means for the Wirral-born youngster to wear the red shirt.

A product of the club's Academy, 'Spearo' first came to prominence when he made late substitute appearances in both legs of the FA Youth Cup final triumph over Manchester City back in 2006.

It was a special moment for the youngster but one that was eclipsed 12 months later when he skippered the U18s to back-to-back titles courtesy of a dramatic penalty shoot-out triumph against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The diminutive midfielder's reward for his eye-catching performances was promotion to Melwood later that summer and a place in the reserve team squad.

Once more he would excel, establishing himself as the fulcrum of a side that would go on to be crowned national reserve team champions following a 3-0 success over a strong Aston Villa side at Anfield.

Ironically, the Brazilian Lucas Leiva would feature that night, a player with whom Spearing would later develop a midfield partnership that finally convinced supporters he could fulfil his promise as a homegrown youngster with serious first-team credentials.

However, Spearo was forced to watch Gary Ablett's side lift the trophy from the sidelines after damaging his ankle ligaments in the lead up to the clash.

The 2008-09 pre-season trip to Switzerland presented Spearing with the opportunity to impress boss Rafael Benitez and he began to make in-roads on the first-team squad without truly pushing for a starting place.

He continued to star when on duty with the reserves and was eventually rewarded with his first-team bow as a 65^th minute substitute for Albert Riera in a 3-1 away victory over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

However, it was his second -and final appearance of the campaign - that remains one of the youngster's finest moments in red so far.

Liverpool were in rampant form against European giants Real Madrid and had swept into an unassailable 3-0 lead on the night when Benitez opted to switch two-goal hero, Steven Gerrard with Spearing.

It was boy's own stuff for the kid from Wallasey and he gave an assured showing in a 17-minute cameo he will never forget. The Reds would go on to seal a 4-0 success on the night - 5-0 on aggregate - with the No.26 left stunned by the sound of the Kop singing his name.

More first-team outings followed in 2009-10, including his first start for the club in a 1-0 victory over Leeds United in the Carling Cup.

He would also feature in a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, a full league debut that was marred by the infamous beachball incident.

As the season progressed he remained on the fringes of the first-team and was eventually loaned to Championship side Leicester City.

The midfielder made an instant impact at the Walkers' Stadium and went on to play eight matches for the Foxes as they secured a place in the play-offs. Unfortunately, there would be no big day out at Wembley but Spearo's spell in the Midlands had been an overwhelming success and was also capped by his first goal in senior football in a 4-1 win over Watford.

The beginning of the 2010-11 campaign represented a pivotal moment in his Liverpool career and under new boss Roy Hodgson he was given a more prominent role in the squad.

Impressive displays in the Europa League against the likes of Steaua Bucharest and Napoli vindicated the decision to give him more playing time.

However, it was the January appointment of Kenny Dalglish that brought the very best out of him.

An assured performance in a Merseyside derby draw against Everton at Anfield had supporters singing his praises but he would suffer a fracture of his foot that would deny him an immediate chance to build upon it.

A rapid recovery saw him back in the squad by late February but it wasn't until a clash against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light - a return to the scene of his first ever Barclays Premier League start -  that he showed just how much progress he has made in the past year.

Buoyed by an outstanding performance against the Black Cats he has since been a feature of our impressive form and came close to claiming his first goal for the club when his long range shot provided the assist for Maxi Rodriguez to net in the 5-0 rout of Birmingham City.

His displays alongside Lucas Leiva have left many observers hailing his emergence from the club's vibrant Academy scene and his new contract will be seen as just reward for a player willing to give his all for the Liverpool cause.