Alex Inglethorpe: “We have boys here who will represent this club”

Liverpool’s Academy director Alex Inglethorpe has praised the diversity within the Reds’ youth setup after three of his charges made their debuts for the first team against Wolves on Monday night.

Rafael Camacho, Ki-Jana Hoever and Curtis Jones all took part in the FA Cup defeat at Molineux, with Hoever coming on after the opening few minutes to replace the injured Dejan Lovren.

All three young players did themselves and the Academy proud in what was a difficult night for Jurgen Klopp’s side, and Inglethorpe was delighted to see their hard work and determination pay off.

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WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 07: Curtis Jones of Liverpool during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at Molineux on January 7, 2019 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Getty Images)

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“Throughout the Academy now what we have got is greater difference, people from different cultures and ethnicities,” Inglethorpe said, according to LiverpoolFC.com.

“I think our Academy is more representative of what our first team looks like now. I think we’re more inclusive and broader in our thinking and I like that.

“I think if you were to come and see our Academy sides play, there is a similar dynamic, a similar representation as what you’d see in the first team and I like that.

“It’s important that from our demographic, we select from everyone that is available and we look and identify what long-term potential looks like. We don’t need the best U9s team, but what we do need is the best U9s potential. There’s a difference.

“The best U9s potential might have a fair share of summer birthdays, as the first team would have, whether it’s a Jordan Henderson or an Adam Lallana or whoever it would be.

“That’s what I love about football – that it is inclusive. Anyone can play and what I do think is important is that we have people that are capable of identifying what long-term potential looks like.”

Inglethorpe also alluded to the fact that the Academy still retains a strong Scouse core, explaining that, “The Academy is made up predominantly of boys from the north west, so we have more than our fair share of Scousers in the Academy but we’ll also have boys [from elsewhere].

“We can recruit from either 60 minutes or 90 minutes away from Kirkby, depending on the age group. Of course, as they get older that extends out, but what we don’t want to do is take away the heartbeat.

“If anything, what we have tried to do is focus more on the local area. We’ve really tried hard in our pre-Academy to get the recruitment right in there and to look after the age groups.

“I’m really excited about some of the boys who are at the Academy, there are boys here who should and will play for Liverpool – I have no doubt in that we have boys here who will represent this club.

“So, for me, I think it’s important that we are well represented from staff and from players from the Merseyside area, but of course that’s going to extend out into the north west. That’s logical.”

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Source: anfieldhq.com