“Step by step”- Klopp outlines the benefits of Liverpool putting their faith in youth

Jurgen Klopp outlines the importance of Liverpool youth stars gaining first team experience

As per the club’s official website, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp highlighted the importance and benefits of the youth players getting a taste of first-team action in cup competitions. The Reds boss was speaking ahead of his side’s Carabao Cup semifinal first leg against Arsenal.

Klopp admitted that he was forced to play the Liverpool youngsters in the FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury due to several injuries amongst the first-team squad, but was pleased with the performance put by the starlets.

The German boss explained how it’s in situations like these that Academy players learn and are put to the test, and slowly get to the level that they need to reach to compete at the top.

“Not too much now, but step by step. That’s how football education works and then you need, of course, from time to time these proper tests that you really see, ‘OK, I am a step closer to where I want to be in the future’ and all these things.”

The Shrewsbury clash ended with six Academy graduates having played a role on the pitch. It was a proud day for the Academy and Klopp acknowledged that it was a nice feeling to see the youngsters perform well on the big stage.

The FA Cup third-round tie also saw prodigious youngster Kaide Gordon start up front for the Reds. The 17-year-old capped it off in fine style by scoring Liverpool’s first goal of the night in front of the Kop.

When pressed about Gordon being an option for Klopp in the absence of star forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, who are away at the Africa Cup of Nations, the German said he was hopeful that the young gun would get his chances at Anfield.

“He is here [and] as long as he’s fit he is always in my mind and then we will see where that exactly leads to. He is capable of dealing with that and that is a really important thing, getting these kinds of experiences, so we will see.”

The Reds have seen many youngsters come through the Academy and break into the first team, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher being prime examples. With Anfield seeing a host of youngsters making their debut for the first-team against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup, the future is bright for Liverpool’s youth players.

It was refreshing to see unfamiliar but talented faces take centre stage at Anfield and put in a commanding display in the cup clash. Coming back from a goal down to win the game also shows the never say die attitude that Klopp has inculcated throughout the club.

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It is not the first time that we’ve seen youngsters turn up for the club at the big stage in a cup competition. Liverpool fielded their youngest-ever starting line-up

The foundation for success at the very top has been laid down by the club’s youth system, and with an encouraging manager like Klopp, we could see many more Academy kids come through and make their mark at Anfield.