The times are changing at Liverpool. Discussion among supporters during the World Cup break has been dominated by the news owners Fenway Sports Group are pondering a sale and sporting director Julian Ward will depart at the end of the season.
But there's one area of the club where stability continues to provide the bedrock for success.
Alex Inglethorpe recently celebrated a decade with Liverpool having arrived from Tottenham Hotspur back in November 2012. Initially appointed under-21s coach, Inglethorpe has spent the majority of his time as the Academy manager, ultimately overseeing the progress of players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones from youth level through to the first team.
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His contribution was recognised during the summer when he followed Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and assistant managers Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz in penning a new long-term deal.
And evidence of the Academy's ongoing efforts was witnessed during the Carabao Cup third round win over Derby County earlier this month, when 20-year-old homegrown striker Layton Stewart was given a full debut alongside Academy regulars Stefan Bajcetic, Bobby Clark and Melkamu Frauendorf with Ben Doak coming off the bench for his first senior outing in a team that included previous graduates Caoimhin Kelleher and Nat Phillips.
"It's hard not to feel emotional when you see a boy like Layton go from six years of age through to the first team," says Inglethorpe. "The journey they have been on - not just them, but their parents and family as well - it takes 10 years to get to that point, so for Layton to have done that and come back after a fairly significant injury, it's a proud moment for everybody including myself.
"But whether it's a Ben Doak or a Bobby Clark given a first-team chance, we take equal pleasure seeing them because we recognise the Academy over the years has had success in both sides - both those who have been here for years and those who have come from the outside. There's room for all."
Inglethorpe adds: "I do think the bravery the manager has shown with the youngsters is that it's not just one or two players who get 10 minutes in the odd cup game. We've fielded sometimes largely U21 sides in a number of competitions, and we've also done that against Everton. That's one of the biggest games you can play for Liverpool.
"The manager has shown incredible faith in the players to put them out in pivotal games. Last season epitomised that by starting Caoimhin in the Carabao Cup final. An awful lot of other managers might have said 'thanks for getting us to this point, now Alisson is playing', but it was an amazing nod to not only the Academy and Caoimhin, but also to what the club should be about."
Certainly, there is plenty of positivity around the Academy at present. As well as increased first-team representation, the U21s have lost just once in Premier League 2 this season, the U18s are third in their division while an U19 side has reached the last 16 of the UEFA Youth League. The latest tilt at the FA Youth Cup, which Liverpool last won in 2019, begins next month at Bournemouth.
"We've never judged the Academy by whether we have done well in the 18s league, the 21s league or the Youth Cup," says Inglethorpe. "Sometimes I worry too much that if the team is doing too well in one league, they need pushing up or a different challenge. That possibly is the case for the 21s at the minute. They are doing well, and there are boys there ready to play against senior opposition. I'm pleased and grateful for the fact a number of players have had an opportunity in and around the first team this season."
Inglethorpe is speaking to the ECHO from his office inside the main Academy building in Kirkby. Behind him is a board charting the number of players at the facility, running from the under-9 age group all the way through to the U21s. All will harbour dreams of pulling on a shirt for the Liverpool first team.
Of course, for the past two years the site has also been home to Klopp's squad, who moved from their old training ground at Melwood into the £50million AXA Training Centre alongside the U21s. A five-minute walk from the Academy, it acts as an obvious incentive for the next generation, the ultimate target as they make their way through the ranks.
"It has been a really positive change," says Inglethorpe. "The layout has been really well thought through. The U21s still train on the Academy side but they change in the first-team building. They are a door away from being able to have access to the first team, but they're not quite there. It's inspirational in that proximity, and the interactions are a lot better.
"But the 15-minute drive to Melwood is something the players and myself will always miss. There was something about that trepidation, of being called up and knowing you are going there and having 15 minutes to think it through. Melwood was an iconic place and that journey for a lot of players was significant. But the positives of moving to the new building certainly outweigh the negatives."
It isn't just bricks and mortar that have changed the Academy landscape during Inglethorpe's decade at the club. The increased media attention on the U18 and U21 teams, along with the voracious appetite of social media, have presented a fresh set of hurdles for fledgling talent to negotiate.
"The challenge for any young player of this generation is harder," says Inglethorpe. "It's not just the local newspapers or club websites, it's social media. It's the noise that can be created around a player on there. It means it has become a lot harder to be the surprise that is waiting to happen. I've always thought the players who emerge on the scene without a huge weight of expectation around them, it's a lovely surprise when they play and people see how good they are. That's becoming more rare.
"And sometimes the noise created around a player can be counter-productive. Ultimately, they are children. That level of noise is difficult to cope with whether you are a child or their parents. When there's that clamour, inevitably people will appear wanting to help their career and it becomes more challenging when there are more adult voices that need to be aligned."
Plus, as Inglethorpe explains, it isn't just about ensuring youngsters are ready for Liverpool's first team, a dream that will only be realised by a small percentage at the Academy. "There's an awful lot of commonality between preparing a footballer and preparing a boy for life," he says. "There's no quick route to where you want to go. It's normally based around hard work and dedication and the ability to become resilient. We use here the AIR programme - adaptable, independent and resilient - and if we can give our players those three attributes and how to develop them."
Inglethorpe has worked closely with Ward throughout his time at Liverpool, particularly when the sporting director - who will depart at the end of the season - was loan pathways and football partnerships manager. But despite the air of uncertainty surrounding the Reds at present, Inglethorpe says: "It's business as usual because I'll be able to enjoy Julian's company for the rest of the time that he's here, just as I have the 10 years he has been here. He is hugely talented.
"Of course, anybody that talented will be a loss when they leave. But whether it's been Michael Edwards who has left or Julian, the club and the thinking will remain consistent. The way we would want to go about our work will be consistent after Julian leaves."
*In tomorrow's second part of our exclusive chat, Alex Inglethorpe explains the importance of loan moves and how Liverpool have sought to be ahead of the curve in the transfer market
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