Liverpool FC Youth Teams

[SB]

Good result for the 10 men ending at 2-2. They’ll need to wait to see other results to see if the point is enough to qualify for the next rounds.

UPDATE: Due to other results, Liverpool have now guaranteed a top-22 finish to qualify for the next round.

[SB]

A young defender has revealed he has signed for Liverpool’s academy from Premier League rivals Manchester City.

Lucas Clarke, 16, has taken to Instagram to announce he’s made the move to the Reds. The left-sided defender had previously been with City but has opted to join Liverpool. “Delighted to have signed for @liverpoolfc can’t wait to get started,” Clarke posted on social media. The youngster will link up with Liverpool’s under-16s.

[Harv]

Get him in the first team!

[SB]

Get him in the first team!

He came off the bench for the U19’s on Saturday as they beat Wolves 4-2

[SB]

No details as yet but our U21’s lost 3-1 at home to Sparta Prague in our first match since Christmas.

[SB]

I remember his old man Maynor . This kid isn’t bad if he can stay fit.

Keyrol Figueroa's obsession with goals used to be a costly expense for his parents.

The Liverpool U21s striker recalls scoring 90 times across a calendar year while climbing through the ranks of the Academy set-up.

Figueroa would be modestly rewarded every time he got on the scoresheet growing up in the USA, and that convention followed when he and his family moved back to England.

"My mum and dad had a tradition where every time I'd score they'd give me a dollar," the USA youth international tells Liverpoolfc.com. "But then it changed to a pound when I came here.

"So, I ended with £90 at the end of it because of how many goals I scored throughout the whole year.

"We continued doing that tradition until I got older. It doesn't go on anymore!"

He adds: "I've always got in my mind that when I play [that] it's another opportunity for me to score.

"I'm the type of player where my euphoria comes from scoring. If I play well and I don't score, I'm kind of off it and my mood changes. I'm very dependent on those things.

"I was a natural [at] goalscoring through my ages, so that's what I kind of expect from myself."

Honduras-born Keyrol is in his second spell wearing the Liverpool shirt but has officially been on the club's books since U14 level.

He was initially on trial in Kirkby until his dad Maynor, a Premier League defender at the time, left Hull City and took the family Stateside to continue his career in Major League Soccer.

Keyrol knows exactly the life of an elite-level footballer and is desperate to experience it himself.

The 18-year-old says: "I was in America for a bit and I wanted to pursue my football career, so I persuaded my parents to bring me back to England and try to find clubs.

"My trial from U9s didn't finish, so I carried on with it here. Eventually I got signed.

"It was bound to happen for me to become a footballer. It was the life put through me – the qualities of being a professional or even just the experiences when we went away or when we went to watch his [Maynor's] games.

"For me, I dreamt of that. Just because I want to live that life, I want to be able to play at the highest level and I could give back to [my parents'] sacrifices outside of football and inside of football."

The big question, though: has son ever replicated father in scoring from his own half?

Maynor once did so, with an audacious, long-range free-kick for Wigan Athletic away at Stoke City, one that deservedly won BBC Goal of the Season for 2009-10.

"I wish!" Keyrol smiles. "One day. I said to my dad that there's going to be a day where I have the chance to do it and I'll try to do it.

"But he can't score bicycle kicks for a living, so it's alright!"

Figueroa junior believes finishing ability, strength and pace are the main assets of his game currently.

Looking to develop into the complete forward, his influences are widespread – and three of his idols once led the line brilliantly for Liverpool.

He reveals: "When I was younger, I was just about old enough to watch [Didier] Drogba, [Sergio] Aguero.

"I watched Luis Suarez as well. I think [Fernando] Torres when he was at Atletico Madrid was someone I tried to embody. Daniel Sturridge as well when he was at Liverpool. Those are the types of players that I looked up to.

"I'd say I'm powerful, I'd say I'm good [with my] back to goal. I think I'm a complete, total finisher – I can finish with my left, my right or my head."

And as this conversation draws to a close, Figueroa wants to get something off his chest.

"You know what, I'll just get rid of this one now! I've got this thing where everyone takes the mick out of me because of this," the English-sounding youngster begins, smiling.

"So, I lived in America for so long that I've brought the American accent and I've got both the accents with me. If I was interviewed in America, my American accent would come out.

"I can speak English and Spanish and it's weird because I treat it [the American accent] like a language. When I'm in America, because a lot of my family are American, my accent does come out!

"Honestly, it's weird because the more interviews I get, the more people will see it. But I just want to get it out there now instead of hiding it until it becomes a big thing."

And now you know.

[SB]

No details as yet but our U21’s lost 3-1 at home to Sparta Prague in our first match since Christmas.

Just saw the highlights & they were much the better side in the 1st half. Jayden Danns opened the scoring but had to feed on scraps. SP scored 3 & then we seemed to come alive. Trey Nyoni was denied by a great save with the keepers legs & just on FT Tom Hill should have scored with a free headed but he put it wide. Not as bad as the scoreline showed really.

[SB]

Midfielder Tom Hill has joined Harrogate Town on a permanent transfer after nearly 17 years at Liverpool.

Hill has been on Liverpool’s books since under-six level but has now departed with one senior appearance to his name.

The 22-year-old has completed a transfer to League Two Harrogate and has signed an 18-month contract with his new club.

Hill’s only first team appearance came in the Reds’ 5-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Aston Villa, when Liverpool were forced to field their second-youngest side ever due to the senior side playing a Club World Cup game in Qatar the following day.

[peterbread]

Might go down the road and see how he goes.

[SB]

Might go down the road and see how he goes.

He’s always looked very composed in the 21’s playing in midfield & loves to get forward & chip in with a few goals. I wonder who opted for an 18 month contract? Keep us posted how he gets on then

[peterbread]

Well they need all the help they can get. They are just above the relegation spots but it looks like a few teams battling to avoid that last spot. I’ve only been to watch them once and they lost with a late goal to Salford.

[SB]

Great insight of training for the 21’s from the Inside Anfield

[ame="https://youtu.be/w1dEqf6vTSA"]Inside Training: SUPER Goals & Padbol Matches With The Liverpool Academy! - YouTube[/ame]

[red g]

Well they need all the help they can get. They are just above the relegation spots but it looks like a few teams battling to avoid that last spot. I’ve only been to watch them once and they lost with a late goal to Salford.

I went to that one too. They have picked up a bit since the turn of the year. Daddy doesnt have to have an awkward conversation with son yet

[peterbread]

Liverpool have just beaten Chelsea in the U18 Premier League Cup. Chelsea were winning the game 2-0 in the 83rd minute but Liverpool managed to score 3 late goals to win the game. Goals from Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha and Alvin Ayman in the 84th, 87th
and 90th minute won them the game.

Rio Ngumoha scored his first goal for Liverpool to equalise the game and then went onto help set up the winner after skilling up some of the Chelsea players. Been training with the Liverpool first team a few times this season and even played in the FA Cup for
them. A reminder he left them this summer.

The three goal scorers have all been signed in the last couple of seasons as part of the strategy to pick up a couple of the best English prospect each season.

[SB]

Great result for the youngsters.