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All of my mates are absolutely jealous. Even the ones who were born blues. Because we all know that “Once a Blue, Always a Blue” Right (wink, wink) even if your best mate ends up living the dream of playing football. And for me, it was going to be absolute Heaven. Liverpool Football Club.
When Rafa Benitez came to the club, few could have foreseen the massive good fortune the club would immediately experience. In just one season, Rafa the Gaffa had managed a feat the many Reds had thought was now only a part of their growing distant pass. To be crowned the Kings of Europe, and win the European Cup (modern day Champions League). This, despite a woefully poor performance in the English Premiere League, finishing fifth, behind the Bitters of Everton for that matter. Symptomatic to this poor form in the League was also the substandard quality of players coming out of the youth system at the Academy. A system that had produced the likes of my heroes, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, had since grown silent, with only the occasional bright spot, such as John Welsh and Steven Warnock who were fighting a loosing battle trying to find their way into Anfield’s first team. The Academy suffered for quality, and so Rafa started redistributing scouts, trying to haul in fresh talent in places as yet un-plundered by other massive clubs, particularly Arsenal and Man United. And so many new faces have popped up at Anfield. Faces like mine.
But how could an American, from a country also suffering from lack of natural football abilities, whose best atheletes stopped playing football, or soccer, long before they reached a proper age, end up at Anfeild. Actually, I am a half breed. My dad was a service member in the US Air force, stationed oversees at Upper Heyford, England in 1982. That’s were he met me mum. I was actually the third of three boys in the Murphy Family. Yeah, that’s right, my dad is a half breed too. Half American Yankee, half Irish. And so in 1988, another mutt was brought into this world. I’m half English, half Irish, half Yank.
And yet now here I was an adopted Scouser Playing for the Under 18 Team. My dad finished out his term of service in the Air Force, and we moved to Liverpool when I was fourteen. Back to the heartland.
I actually started playing soccer (henceforth to be known as football) when most American’s were giving it up for Baseball and Basketball, and American Football. But even with a late start, football just seemed to come natural. I was actually discovered by the legendary “Colossus” Ron Yeats, during the yearly Boys City tournament, the finalists of which get to play at Anfield for the title. I must say I naturally stood out a little bit from the crowd anyways being some what of a Colossus myself at 6’6. However, instead of drawing comparisons with the likes of Ron Yeats, I took a lot of stick for being much more similar in appearance to Peter Crouch – and had earned the nickname “beanpole” (or “lanky streak of ****” if you talk to me Everton mates). In any case, I must have really made and impression on Mr. Yeats during the tournament, having scored twice on lofted ball into the box off corners, one from a booming free kick near 30 yards back, and two straight up the gut determined dribbles. Unfortunately we lost in peno’s, thanks in no small part to my pathetic contribution, loosing 5-4 after I launched a screamer into the Kop. (Gutted, really. Vowed to never take another peno again after that.) Mr. Yeats got in touch with my coach and my Dad, with an eye to bringing me into the Academy at the end of June. I know that age seventeen was a little late to be starting my apprenticeship with the Reds. It was apparent that I had a lot of growing to do – physically, mentally, and learning the tricks of my trade – but by all accounts the staff at the Academy felt that I had incredible talent for my age, and that I basically had the world at my feet.
I was one of several youth players that were brought into the club to re infuse Anfeild’s drive to return to the glory years brought about by Shankly and Paisly. I was determined to find my spot at the Academy, but greater still, I dreamed of one day repeating the incredible feat of my Kop heroes, and lift the European Cup for Liverpool FC. But for now, I just had to concentrate on not getting kicked by that Hobbs bloke they just brought in from Lincoln.
Note From the author: I always loved reading these managers stories. Some of them are extremely well thought out and creative. I thought I might give it a try, but I wanted to do this from a little bit different perspective; from the players point of view. I am sure there are going to be unforeseen difficulties in presenting this story, but I hope that you enjoy this fresh perspective. I’m still setting up the database and the team, but am looking forward to this scenario. Should be a learning experience for everybody.
"Liverpool may have the financial wealth to compete for the best players from around the globe, but their decision to fund and build a multi-million pound Academy five years ago demonstrated their desire to continue to nurture and develop their own young talent.
Under the guidance of Academy Director and Liverpool legend Steve Heighway, the Academy is a world-class facility designed to give every young boy on the club's books the best possible chance of following in the footsteps of some of the club's greatest players.
Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and Jamie Carragher all came through the youth ranks of Liverpool FC to prove that locally produced players can develop into world class stars having been groomed by the Reds from an early age. Hopefully there will be many more on the way over the coming years." (LiverpoolFC)
24 June 2005 --
I thought that playing at Anfield during the city finals was pretty imposing. For some reason, and I was soon to find out why, coming to the Academy made me feel about 10 times smaller. Training and the new year essentially kicked off on the 1st of July, but myself and a few of the other new lads were invited to come in a bit earlier to help in acclimatizing to the facilities and start growing into the culture that we would be moving into. I'd actually taken a tour of the Academy a couple of times before. Then, only as a curious spectator, I felt a sense of envy to those boys and young men who filled these halls and fields during the year, all seeking move up to the next level, and perhaps realize their dream to moving on to Melwood and Anfield glory. However, this time, as a young man come to actually ply my trade here, and arriving with 8 others who would surely been seen as mercenaries in the eyes of many of the young men who had been playing in the Liverpool youth system since even before the Academy was built, there was more of a sensation of being very small, and almost as if I were farther away from Anfield and Melwood than I had been before this whole journey started.
As we all walked the grounds together I quickly realized there was quite a bit of foreign blood that would soon be pumping from the heart of LFC. Not only that, but these were very talented young men to who would surely be cutting to the head of the line in terms of those young men who would be invited to continue on to Melwood and the Reserve Team. These were young men of an incredible footballing pedigree from all over Europe.
We were able to kick the ball around quite a bit on a few of the practice fields there during that first week there, and I got to know little bit about the guys during that time. One thing was for certain -- we'd better hope that football really was the universal language, because most of us had no idea what the other was going on about -- Real tower of Babel type stuff.
Jonathan Legear (AM RL - Belgian - 17)
Of all the young men coming in that day, Jonather Legear stood the most chance of being recognized. He had already featured twice for his the Belgian U 18 squad, and possessed enough of an all around game to feature in many of the sides in the English Championship League successfuly. ALthough not extremely quick, Legear was good on the ball, small and agile, and creative enough to push past most fullbacks and get in a good cross. It was evident that it wouldn't take long for Legear to be one of the best crossers of the ball at the Academy, much less at LFC. Legear also was able to sneak into the box occasionally and stroke a good shot to bulge the nets, but he would almost certainly earn plaudits for how he played into his team mates and set them up for success.
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Alejandro Sanchez Fernandez (SC - Spanish - 17) At first look Alajandro seemed to smack of everything that would suggest he would be top class. Anything that came to his feet within 15 yards of the net, would almost unfailingly find the keeper picking it out of the back of the net. He would probably get pushed around quite a bit from the typical "English" type Half Backs like Hobbs, but some how he doggedly pushed through to the spot. However, most things that came to him in the air could end up just about anywhere but on goal, including off his face -- so the coach would likely not be using him as a target man anytime soon. Alejandro also had a impeccable sense of positioning on the pitch and could feel his teammates around him. Unfortunately he also had and increadible predilection to botching all but the shortest of passes, so even if he saw you, the chances of a cross or a pass making it to you was slim and none.
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Thomas Mangani (D/DM LC - French - 17)
Here was a long term project if there ever was one. Rafa seemed pretty big on Mangani, though none of us really understood why. He was not really good at anything except hanging about like an annoying gnat! But I suppose he did that well enough to take you out of the game at stretches. He wasn't an athelete per se, but seemed to know what it took to improve the team, although what that was, I couldn't really figure out. But Mangani was good natured, and a likeable fellow. Who knows. He might be able to hang around long enough to fullfil something of that promise that Rafa saw in him.
Antonio Barragan – (D/DM C – Spanish – 17) One of the first of Rafa’s targets as he looked to restructure the youth system, so Antonio comes with extra expectation on his shoulders – and he’s Spanish to boot. Many fans are hoping that Rafa can take advantage of the Spanish market, just as Wenger has been able to pillage the French youth market in finding gems in the rough. Well, Barragan is pretty rough, but there are lots of good signs that he may turn out to be just the gem Liverpool were looking for. He’s strong and tall but hasn’t quite learned to use his height to his advantage yet. He is aggressive and strong in the tackle, but tends to back out of some challenges, and isn’t quite as committed as you would want from a commanding center back. He will almost certainly dominate in the youth side, but will he believe in himself enough to make it further is the main question.
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Simone Bertini (D R - Italian - 17)
Just about the only positive thing that you could say about Simone Bertini was that he was promising. He was good at his trade up and down the right side of the defense, and could put you off your game by getting a foot in at the opportune moment. But you just couldn't like Simone as a team mate. The guy was a bit of a *****, a loner, and somewhat of a selfish arse. He never really let himself get into a position where he would look bad, and consequently never seemed very commited to anything but himself. But I suppose you don't really have to be everybodies friend to be a good football player. Hell, Lee Boyer has somehow managed to make a living at the game, and nobody likes that SOB. So maybe Bertini could do a job for Liverpool.
Nothing makes a club more dear to the heart of the locals than to have a good strong local representation. Old sayings die hard, and "Keep Liverpool Scouse: I'm sure will be one of the last to go. And while Yeats and the scouting crew always look to give any boy with promise a fair look, they were being more than just patriotic when they swooped into register a couple of local lads who seemed ready to make good.
Ronnie Bridges (AM RC - English - 17)
Ronnie was born not far off from the Merseyside - in Chester. Ronnie was absolutely solid in everyway. Big, strong, and nimble -- many saw in Ronnie for the Academy side, what Steven Gerrard is for Liverpool. The Captain, and perhaps the engine to make the team go. People just respond to Ronnie for some reason, and he was definately one to stick a boot up your arse if you weren't pulling you own. Ronnie may have featured sooner on the higher developmental stages were it not for his weight problem early on. He worked hard to throw off this weight, but it would likely be something that would always haunt him -- Food was the only thing he loved more than football. Picture a 6 foot Rooney and there you had it.
Mark Noble (AM LC - English - 17)
another local lad, born in nearby Wrexham. Mark was actually taken into the vaunted West Ham youth system after his dad made a move to that area for job considerations. Mark was to one of a long line of prodigies produced by that system. However, when it came time to extending the lad his first real contract, there was some hmmming and hawing, so Rafa swooped in to hijack thier plans, with an eye to featuring Mark relatively quickly in the full liverpool side. While Ronnie Bridges would be seen in the mold of Steven Gerrard for his ability to gee up the team, surely Mark was more along the lines of the athelete that fans expect of their heroes. Many would feel that liverpool paid a little over the top for Mark as an unproven player at the top level, having settled accounts with West Ham for an outrageous 4.5 million pounds. This has served as a bit of an embarrassment for the lad and has really unsettled him, knowing that much would be expected of him, and soon!! Mark has an array of tricks to pull from in order to get around his man and get a quick clean cross into the box. He was pretty good all around, and would be another lad not long for the under 18 team, but I planned to enjoy playing with him and learning from him while he was around.
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Jack Hobbs -- (DC - English - 16) Jack Hobbs was another case where a young player was being dealt with in an oddly careless manner and Liverpool swooped in to make an irrestable offer to the lad. This time it was Arsenal at the fumble for this talent from Lincoln. Jack was here on a trial period, just to be sure, but it didn't take us long to see the quality in technique there. Surely joining the squad would be liitle more than a formality after they saw Hobbsies composure on the pitch and the skill with which he struck a ball. He still had a long way to go in order to be an effective defensive player, but all of the peices were there or not far off.
First Team Friendly -- You're avin a laugh!
July 1-15
By the time July had rolled around, things had begun around the Academy in earnest. Many of the previous members of the U-18 squad began showing up - guys like Lee Peltier, Calum Woods, John Paul Kelly, James Frayne, Jordan Holmes, et al. You can imagine that the initial reception was strained at best, because in many cases, we represented the end of some of these guys footballing careers at LFC. It would remain to be seen who would get their walking papers, but it was evident that big changes were coming.
Pre-season training was headed up by Mr. John Owens, the head coach and assistant team manager to Pako Ayesteran. Pako had a special interest in making sure the youth program suceeded. As Rafa's right hand man, Pako would closely follow our development as that would surely signal Rafa's legacy at the club.
Workouts were absolutely brutal. 3 a-days! And that was going to be standard for the year! Get used to it? Geesh, more like just be glad we get evening to recover. Mr. Owens didn't take much to whining at all, and just as any good task master would do, he let on that there was a nice reward in the not to distant future for those of us who excelled during these first few weeks.
9 July
"Legend wall --
Our legends wall celebrates the achievements of the likes of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and obviously Steve Heighway, who played over 300 times for the first team and is one of the most famous legends that we have.
We never forget where we've been because these guys were the start of the regeneration of Liverpool Football Club. We're doing well and we're playing in a difficult environment and a difficult time for football, but we'll make it." (LiverpoolFC Offal)
Mr. Owens called us together on the eve of 8th at Legend Wall. We thought this was going to be our first day off from training since we got, here - a chance to lick our wounds and steel our minds for the upcoming week. Now the sadistic bastard was going to take this day too. Slowly the lot of us came together, still pretty wary of one another mostly becuase of the inability to really hold a conversation off of the football pitch (with the foreign lads - for obvious reasons) -- but there we were when Mr. Owen came up with a small group of other guys in tow . . . guys like Rafael Benitez, Pako Ayesteran, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher!!! Well, you don't think they call this Legend Wall for nothing. Feck if we weren't all completely huffed to be there at that moment in time. We practically mobbed the Liverpool Captains just to try and shake thier hands and get a word in. Ear splitting smiles all around. Just huffed!
Rafa calmed us down, and in his simple and honest ways, addressed us in his halting English. "You are all very impressive young men, and I have been watching your progress, many of you now for quite some time. You all have great potential and a great mentality -- and your time at the Academy will serve you well in developing your football possibilities. Many of you will soon join us in the first team in the future - some of you sooner than you think. Starting on Monday, all of you will begin training with Stevie, Jamie, and the rest of the Melwood team. We have some very interesting Friendlies scheduled, and some of you will have the opportunity to play with the First Team. We will be working very hard, and expect you will work hard too."
Absolutely tickled. Right blown away -- If that wasn't the best day yet in my life, then I don't know what was. A chance to play beside our Anfeild heros. I'm pretty sure we were all pretty made up - we were going to feature in those friendlies - somehow. All made up, except for Bertini, who it seemed couldn't have cared less. Or maybe he just didn't understand was was being said. First Team Friendly - your avin a laugh.
"It's the place where all the club's greatest players have learned their trade. The place where all the important tactical decisions and team selections which have taken the Reds to unparalleled success in the English game have been made.
Melwood has been Liverpool's training base since the days of Shankly and over recent years the complex in West Derby has undergone dramatic transformation. The Reds' board of directors have funded a multi-million pound renovation to give a world class set of players the world class facilities they deserve to help improve their game.
Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier was the mastermind behind the recent refurbishment." (LiverpoolFC Offal)
Although it was made apparent that the switch to Melwood was only of temporary length, some of us couldn't help but feel like we had arrived. If we thought it was nice at the Academy, that was nothing compared to the facilities here at Melwood. You could excuse the public for thinking that these super-human athletes were a bit pampered. They'd be right. Relaxation Room, Pool, Recreation Room, luxury Dressing Rooms, Private Resturant, synthetic pitches. What a sight. What a taste. Really gave us something to remember after we would return to the Academy. Even for the guys who had been at the Academy in years past, this was a unique treat. Training at Melwood.
Well, the pleasantries came to an end pretty quickly when we realized on Monday that Melwood had also turned into somewhat of a Boot Camp for football players. Rafa was pretty intent on having a team that was fit enough to compete in all four cups that year, and the only way to bring that about was through hard work. In addition, this was really the first preseason that Rafa had to really work his ideas and try and put together the peices of the puzzle for the upcoming year. While last seasons success in the Champions League was mentioned a little, most of the talk was about putting that behind them and concentrating on the season at hand. Nay, the session at hand. Rafa had informed us and the Melwood team that there were three pre-season friendlies that we would be taking part in - not only to give us a taste of life at Liverpool, but also to bring about a change in mentality again. A return to the days when Liverpool had the best two squads in English football -- Liverpool Football Club, and Liverpool Football Clubs Reserves! Strength in depth, and quality in effort.
Practices would be largely conducted in groups of Defenders, Midfeilder, Strikers, and Keepers with at least one session per day when we were all brought together as a squad. I was a little dissapointed to be lumped in with the Defensive crew on the first day, but would never have let on. I was quickly humbled by the fact that Defenders the likes of Josemi, Steve Finnan, and Jamie Carragher all beat me easily for pace, strength of shot, accuracy of passing, and . . . well . . . pretty much everything that I thought it took to play Midfeild. So it was shut up, keep your head down, keep up and work hard at what I was about. Besides, there was no greater experience than to recieve a right bolluxing from Jamie Carragher. Love that man. Not much time for hero worship -- but there was a little. Above all else, though, I was intent on making one of those spots in the friendly on Friday mine.
And Adopted Scouser 
) -- but there we were when Mr. Owen came up with a small group of other guys in tow . . . guys like Rafael Benitez, Pako Ayesteran, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher!!! Well, you don't think they call this Legend Wall for nothing. Feck if we weren't all completely huffed to be there at that moment in time. We practically mobbed the Liverpool Captains just to try and shake thier hands and get a word in. Ear splitting smiles all around. Just huffed!
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