EXCLUSIVE
By David Lynch

Frank McParland represents a rare beacon of consistency at a club which has undergone a host of changes in recent years.

Four different managers have led Liverpool since the 53-year-old was appointed to his role as Academy director back in May 2008, the sort of statistic which does not usually tally with stability at any level. Yet, despite this regular upheaval elsewhere, the Reds’ Academy has cemented its growing reputation through the graduation of several of its prospects to the first team over the last year.

There is, it could be argued, no truer measure of any youth setup’s success.

That impressive conversion rate ensured Liverpool’s Academy achieved Category One status during a recent FA review, but McParland accepts that simply producing talent is not enough. The Liverpool native believes that working under a manager who trusts young players implicitly is of the utmost importance, and cannot speak highly enough of Brendan Rodgers in that regard.

“It’s important that the manager has a major influence on the Academy,” he told Goal.com. “We’re lucky enough to have a young manager like Brendan Rodgers who has worked at every level. He’s got a real empathy with what we’re trying to do and he loves working with young players.

“For us, it’s a dream to have a manager who wants to play young players because when you’re trying to sell the club to kids you can tell them there’s a massive pathway for them. We worked out the other day that we played in a Youth Cup game two years ago and seven players – Robinson, Flanagan, Wisdom, Sterling, Suso, Coady and Morgan – have all played in the first team.

“Out of one generation the manager and previous managers have given seven the chance to play in the first team.”

McParland spoke to Goal.com at an event held at the club’s Kirkby-based Academy in support of Seeing is Believing, a charity aimed at eliminating preventable blindness in poorer countries which is partnered by Liverpool’s main sponsor, Standard Chartered.

The day involved four of the club’s brightest talents at Under-18 level – Daniel Trickett-Smith, Ryan Fulton, Lloyd Jones and Alex O’Hanlon – engaging with visually impaired children through blind football.

And to McParland, the personal development of youth prospects through community work is just as significant as their education in any footballing philosophy.

“A few years ago all the kids did was clean boots and clean baths and if the first team players wanted a cup of tea they did that,” he said. “Nowadays, this is more important for me. Our job is to teach them football and to teach them to be good kids as well and responsible adults in the end.

“We used to go to Alder Hey [children’s hospital] once every Christmas and now we go once every month because it’s important that we have really strong relationships with good organisations like that. This keeps the kids grounded, it lets them see the other side of life and people who are not as fortunate as they are so it’s really important they do this.”

Indeed the club understand fully the significance of character building in the talents they view not only as young footballers, but individuals. And commitment to these admirable ideals has its rewards, as McParland explained.

“Sometimes the kids will come with good character or bad character. We’d always take a kid with good character if we can but if there’s a kid who needs a little bit of help we’ll always work with them and work really hard on that side,” he continued.

“Two weeks ago when Andre Wisdom signed his second pro contract – and he didn’t sign it with me this time, he signed it with Ian Ayre – and he came to see me straight after it and the other staff to thank everyone for helping him get through his career. And that’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had being at the club, it was a really special occasion for me. I was absolutely delighted with it.

“The kid is a normal kid, we’ve had him for five years. He’s pretty much a local kid even though he was born in Leeds but he’s one of us now, he’s one of our family.”

Though McParland’s delight over the achievement that players such as Andre Wisdom represent is clear, the desire to ensure that he is not the last of a growing number of success stories – both on and off the field – is unstinting.

The find out more information about the Seeing is Believing initiative, please visit www.seeingisbelieving.org.

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By Greg Stobart

Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Philippe Coutinho after agreeing a €13.7 million deal with Inter for the midfielder, Goal.com can confirm.

Coutinho is due to travel to Merseyside in the coming days to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical ahead of the move.

Liverpool faced competition from Southampton for the Brazilian but appear to have got their man after an Anfield delegation flew to Italy this week to negotiate the transfer.

The Reds have increased their initial €7.6m bid for Coutinho and the 20-year-old is understood to have made clear his preference to move to Anfield.

Coutinho played under new Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino while on loan at Espanyol last season but Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has been determined to improve his squad as he targets a top four finish.

The Reds signed Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea at the start of the month in a €14m deal and are also hoping to conclude a move for Blackpool midfielder Tom Ince before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

They will have to apply for a work permit before Coutinho’s proposed transfer can be concluded but that is regarded as a formality for the versatile playmaker, who has been capped once for Brazil.

Inter’s financial circumstances have meant they have actively encouraged Liverpool’s interest in Coutinho this month, despite selling Wesley Sneijder to Galatasaray, as the Serie A giants line up a move for Corinthians star Paulinho.

Coutinho signed for Inter from Vasco da Gama when he was 16, though he spent a further two years at the Brazilian club before moving to Italy. Coutinho had a productive spell on loan at Espanyol in the second half of last season before returning in the summer to Inter.

Despite starting only three of the club’s Serie A matches this season – and making 10 league appearances in total – Coutinho is regarded as an emerging star.

Speaking to Sky Italia earlier this week about Liverpool’s interest, he said: “The Liverpool offer? I’m happy with these offers, because it means I am doing my job well.

“But I think Inter have faith in me and I want to show my value here. I don’t feel that I’m on my way out. I hope to stay at Inter. The young players feel the faith of the coach and of the club.”

Brendan Rodgers has explained that Liverpool’s successful recent run has cost him, with his New Year’s promise to treat the team if they won three games in a row proving to be an expensive decision.

Liverpool have won eight of their last 11 games, and the Merseyside club will be looking to build on that run when they face League One side Oldham in the FA Cup on Sunday.

“As one of the ways in which we have tried to get consistency into the team, I said in the New Year if we got three wins on the trot I would pay for lunch,” he told reporters.

“When they won at Mansfield, one of the first things they said in the changing room afterwards was, ‘You better get your money out.’ It ended up that last Friday was the first chance we had to go out.

“Team spirit is important and the more you are together and you can do that, your spirit just grows. Little small things like that, adding that one per cent can help you.

“They enjoyed it. I realised it could cost me a few bob when Glen Johnson was having apple tart.

“I might have to limit it to main courses, because we have started the run again… and it is me to pay again!

“But I don’t mind, I will do anything to get us winning.”

Despite the financial cost to Rodgers, the former Swansea manager stressed the benefits of his method for the squad.

“It is about togetherness. It is about good players, of course, but you need togetherness and the growth of that,” he continued.

“Human nature is that people respond to rewards. You go back to school: If you did well in your maths, you got a little star. It gave them something to aim for.

“So now the run has started again, It might cost me a few bob but if it does I will be happy because it means we are doing alright. We will stick at getting three wins for now and then, once I am out of money, we can increase the target to a longer run of wins.”