Brendan Rodgers believes that Liverpool’s squad should contain more players sourced from the local area.

Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher are the only current regular first-teamers to have been born and raised on Merseyside, an area that the Ulsterman believes is a footballing “hotbed” waiting to be tapped into.

“My big thing is getting young players in here from the local area – here in Liverpool,” Rodgers told reporters.

“Name me the best two players in England in the last six or seven years – Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney and they’re Scousers.
 
“You can’t tell me there are not top young talents in Liverpool. I know it is sexy to look in Spain, and I’m one who loves working with European players, but I want players from here, too.

“I love working with the talents and all my life I have worked with players from different parts of the world.

“But we musn’t forget what is on our doorstep and, for me, Liverpool is a hotbed for footballers.

“They have passion, hunger and incredible qualities and we are looking from them. That is a massive part of my job and finding these players is something we are trying to put in place.”