da leao： Liverpool boast one of the strongest academy set ups in England and manager Brendan Rodgers has made it his mission to bring through as many of the club’s youngsters as possible during his three years at the Anfield helm.
da aposte e ganhe： Indeed, the likes of Raheem Sterling, Jordan Ibe and Jon Flanagan have all broken into the first team and forged recurring roles at senior level under the Ulsterman’s leadership. The former is now worth £50million, if you believe the tabloids.
But having acquired a host of considerably more experienced talent over the last two summers – 14 players in total including today’s signing Nathaniel Clyne – the Reds’ prodigious youngsters might find first team opportunities a little harder to come by next season.
So thank the transfer gods for the English loan system, which has propped up the Football League for years whilst giving young players vital exposure to senior football.
And it’s with that in mind Football Fancast have listed the FIVE youngsters Liverpool should send out on loan next term.
JOE GOMEZ
Joe Gomez may have only just arrived at Anfield for £3.5million, but the gap between the top flight and the second tier is big enough as it is, let alone the gulf of quality separating mid-table Championship outfit Charlton and Champions League qualification contenders Liverpool.
No doubt, the teenage centre-back is an exceptional prospect, earning comparisons to a young Rio Ferdinand due to his pace, all-round athleticism and ball-playing style.
But with just 21 Championship outings under his belt, the 18 year-old needs more exposure to regular football. He’s already been linked with a loan stint back at The Valley for next term, whilst Derby County are also said to be interested.
JORDAN ROSSITER
Jordan Rossiter netted just ten minutes into his Liverpool debut last September during a Capital One Cup fixture against Middlesbrough, earning premature comparisons to iconic skipper Steven Gerrard.
Brendan Rodgers is clearly a fan of the young midfielder, going on to name him for the Liverpool bench on four more occasions until an ankle injury in February ended his senior string involvement for the rest of the 2014/15 campaign.
Already a Young Player of the Year award winner at Anfield and the second-youngest goalscorer in the club’s history – after Michael Owen – despite Rossiter’s tender age of 18, he looks capable of contributing regularly at Football League level.
And following all the recent hype, roughing it out at a League One or Championship club might help keep the England U18’s feet on the ground.
SAMED YESIL
Samid Yesil boasts a sensational record at international youth level, with 31 goals and 33 caps for Germany from the U16 to U19 age groups.
But the striker’s involvement with the Mannschaft juniors stopped in 2013, whilst recurring injuries have severely stalled his progress at club level since.
Now 21 years of age and into the final twelve months of his Anfield contract, the prodigious forward needs a real sink or swim test out on loan to affirm whether he’s an option worth pursuing from Brendan Rodgers’ perspective.
Having thus far made just three competitive senior appearances in his career, however, what quality of team Yesil would feel comfortable in remains unclear.
BRAD SMITH
Another Liverpool youngster in need of a sink or swim test at a decent level.
Brad Smith is a fully fledged Australian international with four caps for the Socceroos and comes highly-rated on Merseyside, but having thus far managed just one senior appearance for the Reds at 21 years of age, he needs an opportunity to impress Brendan Rodgers.
The left-back-come-midfielder went out on loan to Swindon last year and picked up seven starts in League One, until he was recalled in October following an injury to Alberto Moreno.
He’s a consistent performer for Liverpool’s U21 side, claiming two goals and eight assists last season, and deserves another shot in the Football League.
JEROME SINCLAIR
Brendan Rodgers clearly has high hopes for young striker Jerome Sinclair. In 2012, he made the Birmingham-born forward the youngest debutant in Liverpool history, and last season awarded him with two outings in the Premier League. He’s now in line for a new contract, according to The Daily Mail.
Sinclair managed just one appearance during a short stint on loan at Wigan last season but that brief top flight exposure may have given him a little more confidence. And let’s face it, the now-relegated Latics were hardly in the most accommodating of situations for an academy product looking to turn heads.
Another, hopefully more affluent, spell in the Championship seems like the most sensible scenario for an 18 year-old tipped to enjoy a bright future with Liverpool.