Liverpool’s academy has taken centre stage during the season at Anfield so far.
Over the past few weeks in particular, the Reds have showcased exactly why they’re claimed to be sitting on around £300m worth of talent in their youth teams.
The likes of Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah have taken plenty of praise, but the coaches to have raised those two boys – and all the others – deserve their flowers too.
And according to The Daily Mail, one of those coaches is actually former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman.
They claim that McManaman has ’emerged as a key voice’ around the Reds academy. The 52-year-old has reportedly been acting in an advisory role for the youth team’s coaches.
As well as regularly attending games, McManaman is said to be taking a ‘hands-on’ approach in training, too. Offering advice to coaches on how to get the best out of the youngsters at their disposal, the 52-year-old is claimed to be working closely with the likes of U18s manager Marc Bridge-Wilkinson.
McManaman taking on key role
To younger Liverpool fans, they’ll maybe know McManaman only from his role as a pundit and commentator, usually with TNT Sports.
And although he is now in the spotlight for giving his opinions on the game, it’s worth remembering that Macca was one heck of a player.
Liverpool do of course now have a new ‘Macca’ in Alexis Mac Allister. But before the Argentine came McManaman.
Raised through the academy himself, the former flying winger went on to make over 300 appearances for his boyhood club.
Impressive though that was however, it’s for his spell at Real Madrid that McManaman earned real gravitas within the game.
Over four seasons in Spain, he won two La Liga title and two Champions League’s. McManaman even scored in the final of Europe’s premier competition in 2000, and was on the pitch for Zinedine Zidane’s iconic winner against Bayer Leverkusen two years later, too.
As a result of that experience as well as his time coming through at Liverpool, McManaman will be an invaluable voice for coaches and players back at his old club.
With Liverpool angling to bring Xabi Alonso back to Anfield, the perceived value of bringing in former players has never been higher. But beyond the potential return of Xabi, another Reds old boy is making his mark at the club.