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Fourteen years after he left Liverpool FC for Real Madrid, Steve McManaman has the Liver bird back on his chest once again.

The former Reds winger is relishing his new role as a mentor for youngsters at the club’s Kirkby Academy.

McManaman, along with his ex-team-mates Robbie Fowler and Rob Jones, accepted an invitation from manager Brendan Rodgers to work with the under-21 and under-18 squads.

Having signed for the Reds at the age of 14 before going on to make 364 first-team appearances, he knows exactly what it takes to make the sizeable leap from Kirkby to Melwood.

“It’s great to be back involved at Liverpool and it’s going really well,” McManaman told the ECHO.

“Robbie, Rob and myself were all flattered to be asked by Brendan and we’re just there to help in any way we can.

“We’ve all got other commitments as well so it’s a flexible arrangement where we’re able to go down whenever we want.

“Alex Inglethorpe and Neil Critchley are the main men. They are the coaches and they take the sessions. We’re there to contribute if we see anything we think the youngsters could work on to become better players.

“Robbie and myself both joined Liverpool as young kids, we’ve been through that process of working your way up through the system and then making that jump into the first-team squad.

“If any of the kids want to ask questions or bounce ideas off us we’re there. They’ve got our phone numbers.

“There’s some real talent coming through and if we can help in a small way with that extra 2% that can make the difference then it will be worth it.

“Fans love to see youngsters make that breakthrough. You can feel the buzz in the crowd. They all want to see the next Stevie or Carra.”

It’s not only the Academy players who benefit from Rodgers’ mentoring scheme.

“It’s a great opportunity that Brendan has given us as former players,” McManaman said.

“Coaching is something I’m looking at. I went over to Ireland a few years ago to do the B Licence.

“Robbie is further down the road than Rob or I as he’s trying to get his A Licence at the moment.

“I’m just trying to learn as much as possible off the great coaches at the Academy. I’m picking up ideas off Alex and Neil.”

McManaman is back at a club where spirits are high following a flying start to the season.

Rodgers’ side stand second in the Premier League table after taking 16 points out of 21 and the 41-year-old says the manager deserves great credit for the squad he has assembled.

“Brendan’s signings have really strengthened the team,” he said.

“Simon Mignolet has done really well, Mamadou Sakho has slotted in well at the back and to get Victor Moses on loan from Chelsea was a great piece of business.

“I love the way Brendan has got the team playing, and they’ve got the likes of Glen Johnson and Philippe Coutinho to come back into the team over the coming weeks.

“When everyone is back the manager has got real competition for places so it looks very promising.

“Going forward they’re such a threat. They always look like they are going to score goals.

“Having Luis Suarez back in the team has given them another dimension. Attacking players like Suarez, Sturridge, Coutinho, Moses and Sterling can change games.”

Rodgers has recently reaped the rewards of switching to a 3-4-1-2 formation. McManaman was part of the last Liverpool side to regularly operate with three at the back under Roy Evans in the mid-90s.

The Kirkdale-born analyst for BT Sport knows the benefits of the system and believes the Reds have the personnel to make it work over an extended period.

“Brendan has tinkered with the formation and it certainly suits the players he’s got,” McManaman said.

“To play that system you need players with bundles of energy as not only do your wing-backs need to get forward and provide attacking width but they also need to help out defensively.

“It’s a demanding role but in Jose Enrique and Glen Johnson he has got natural wing-backs.

“The system suits Glen to a tee and Coutinho is ideal for that advanced central role in midfield.

“The great thing is that Brendan has got options now. He can always go back to 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3.

“The players have shown they can adapt so he could even change the shape in the middle of a game.”

Positive results inevitably fuel expectation levels. McManaman is optimistic about the months ahead but says it’s too early for any bold predictions of a title challenge.

“The start has whetted our appetite but I don’t think anyone is getting carried away because there’s a long way to go,” he said.

“Liverpool finished seventh, 28 points behind the champions last season. It’s a huge step from there to winning the league.

“Liverpool fans know that. They are intelligent. They know success because they’ve had it in the past.

“They knew last season was a year of transition under a new manager. They just want to see the team continuing to progress.

“What’s clear in mid-October is that they’re going to be a lot closer to the top this time. The likes of Chelsea, Man City and Tottenham went out and spent more in the transfer market but they have looked fallible at times.

“I’d love to see Liverpool fighting for a Champions League spot. It’s an open league this season and they have a great platform to build on.”

Steve McManaman is co-analyst on BT Sport’s coverage of 38 exclusively live Barclays Premier League Football matches including Liverpool’s fixtures against Cardiff City and Manchester City in December. BT Sport is free with BT broadband, to find out more visit www.btsport.com

Suarez and Sturridge could be up there with Rush and Fowler in 10 years time

Steve McManaman believes the strike partnership between Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge has the potential to be one of the most prolific double acts in Liverpool’s history.

The ex-Anfield star played alongside the lethal combination of Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler during his Reds career.

“The exciting thing about Suarez and Sturridge is that they are still gelling,” McManaman said.

“It’s very early days for them as a partnership. You can’t compare them to Rush or Fowler yet. They were superstars for the club. Their goalscoring records underlines that.

“But hopefully in 10 years time we’ll be talking about Suarez and Sturridge in the same breath as those players.

“For a lot of last season it was Luis up front on his own and sometimes he was isolated. But Brendan Rodgers has worked on that and with the acquisitions he’s made it’s now a very mobile and fluid team.

“Sturridge has made a big impact and the front two compliment each other very well.

“The great thing about him and Suarez is that they seem to instinctively know where the other one is.

“They are not just goal scorers, they create chances for each other. Their movement is excellent as they’re both willing to pull wide to find space and they are a real handful for defenders.”