When Trent Alexander-Arnold made his debut against Tottenham in the League Cup back in 2016, just two weeks after his 18th birthday, nobody expected him to evolve into one of the best defenders in the world.

Now with over 300 appearances and 18 goals to his name including a beautiful free kick against Fulham on Sunday, Liverpool fans have manager Jürgen Klopp to thank for his faith in the now 25-year-old.

This type of faith has been replicated time and time again under Klopp’s reign with great a example being Harvey Elliott, who debuted at 16 years old.



And then there are Curtis Jones (18 on debut), Conor Bradley (17) Ben Doak (17), Jarell Quansah (20) along with a ton of other exceptional youth players.

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Without this trust and reliance on young players coming through Liverpool’s world-class academy system, it is very likely the club may not have seen the success it has had in recent times.

Huge achievements such as the Champions League and of course the Premier League may not have come true if it wasn’t for breakthrough prospects.

Now, with just five games left to go under Klopp’s leadership, it is crucial that the next person in charge follows in his footsteps.

"I think there’s been 40-odd Academy players who have made debuts under Jürgen so he trusts exactly what’s going on below the first team and then he trusts the players," he told the club website.

Spearing has overseen the recent developments of huge talents hoping to break through such as the likes of Jayden Danns, Bobby Clark and James McConnell and Lewis Koumas, all of whom have made an impact in Klopp’s senior side this season.

And it is certain that when selecting the new Liverpool boss this confidence in academy graduates will be a requirement for the role.

Many managers, especially in the Premier League often opt for the market rather than their young sides, which could be a huge issue if the wrong person is selected.

This is something Liverpool rarely does if a young player is bursting onto the scene in a similar position.

It remains to be seen who the next Liverpool manager might be.
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