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Legendary Liverpool defender Alan Hansen once infamously claimed that “you can’t win anything with kids”.

While there might be a kernel of truth in that statement, the Reds’ progression in the Women’s Super League (WSL) this term shows that, when the right blend between youth and experience is struck, the addition of young players can help propel a team to new heights.

Of course, Liverpool Women are still a way off competing for European football’s top honors but Matt Beard’s side has been one of the league’s surprise packages this term and are well on course for a top-five finish.

In last summer’s transfer market, recruiting exciting young talent was chief among Beard’s priorities.

The 2022/23 campaign had been all about survival, with Liverpool having won promotion back to the WSL the previous season.

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As such, most of the Reds’ signings had previous top-flight experience and were equipped with the guile and know-how to grind out results.

When you consider that Liverpool finished the season in seventh place, 12 points clear of the relegation zone, it’s hard to refute that the policy was a success.

But, with the club’s ambitions having heightened ahead of their second season back in the first tier, there was a need to adopt a more long-term recruitment strategy and target promising young talent with the potential to take Beard’s side to the next level.

All but one of the Reds’ seven summer signings were aged 25 or under, with 18-year-old Sheffield United striker Mia Enderby and 21-year-old Scotland defender Jenna Clark among the new recruits.

That change in approach is perhaps best exemplified by the fact that the Liverpool team which started the game against bottom-of-the-table Bristol City on Saturday afternoon had an average age of 23 years old.

By contrast, the average age of the Reds’ starting XI to take on Manchester United on the final day of last season was 28.4.

And, while it might not have been a vintage display last weekend, Beard’s new-look side did enough to secure their ninth WSL win of the season against the Robins.

Her latest strike, a low drive from distance, gave the visitors the lead inside 13 minutes at Ashton Gate, and Liverpool managed to see out the game to move onto 32 points for the season.

But Bristol City are fighting for their lives so we knew it was going to be a tough game.”

The victory sees Liverpool stay in fifth place, level on points with fourth-placed Manchester United, with Beard’s side guaranteed to post their highest WSL points tally since 2014 this season.
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