Rob Page explains why he agreed to major Liverpool coup after history-making Wales stint

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The 51-year-old led the Wales national side to their first World Cup in 64 years when they qualified for the 2022 finals in Qatar and he also guided the country to the second round of the delayed Euro 2020.Page left the position in June 2024 and had been awaiting his next opportunity when he was contacted by Liverpool's long-serving Academy director Alex Inglethorpe.In what represented a major coup at youth level, the Reds confirmed Page would be succeeding Barry Lewtas as U21s boss in late June and his first few months on the job have been hugely enjoyable, he said in a pitchside chat in Istanbul.READ MORE: Curtis Jones makes alarming admission about Liverpool's defeat to GalatasarayREAD MORE: Alexander Isak 'won't improve' Mohamed Salah as Liverpool sent warning over 'freak'The former Watford and Sheffield United centre-back, who was speaking after seeing the Reds' U19s beat their Galatasaray counterparts at Esenler Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, said: "It's completely different to what I have been used to but I am absolutely loving it."We've got great staff here, when you work with young players like we've seen today, there's a great energy every day when you come in. People like Jay Spearing and the staff I have got there, it is an incredible place to work and I am loving it."I had a conversation with Alex and came over, had a look around the place and probably didn't even contemplate it until I had that conversation with Alex.

I knew I wanted a project, I didn't just want to go back into management, I wanted something that made it exciting for me."And one of the best parts of my coaching career so far was watching the Wales U21s, watching them develop as young players and to be given the opportunity to do that at a club like Liverpool was a no-brainer and I am loving it."Page, who won 41 caps for Wales during his playing days before going on to manage the country at U17s U19s, U21s and senior level, added: "Whether it is getting players into the first team at Liverpool or a career in the game, that is the aim. And because I have been a club manager, it makes it a bit more real for the players as well."When I was a club manager, I wasn't overwhelmed by the U21s league.

So for me, it is coming here to Galatasaray, in an environment like this and a pitch like that, it wasn't all about playing lovely football at the end, we had to dig deep."And there's a bit of realism of what they can expect if they go out on loan and play club football because a manager has got to trust his job. I thought we stuck to the game plan and without exaggerating I thought we probably could have been about four or 5-0 up after 20 minutes, if we had been ruthless and taken our chances."So that was encouraging and then I don't know if it got a little too easy for the players or whether they got comfortable but we came off the plan that had got us the two-goal lead a bit."When you have someone like Trent (Kone-Doherty), his attributes are his pace, his directness, his pace in behind, his ability to run at defenders, he has shown again today, at this level he has the beating of most full-backs."So it's great to have the profile of a wide man like that.