Use your head like Sadio and subscribe to the Liverpool FC newsletter Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

There's a giant magnetic board on the wall in Alex Inglethorpe's office which includes a counter for every player on the books at the Liverpool Academy.

They are divided into their age group squads from under-9s right through to under-23s.

There are around 170 names in total – down from 240 over the course of Inglethorpe's tenure as Academy director.

Since he took over some four-and-a-half years ago, the 47-year-old has placed a strong emphasis on quality rather than quantity.

Tellingly, the younger the squad, the higher the number of players. As the bar gets raised, only the best remain.

Read part one of our exclusive interview with Alex Inglethorpe here

“We take a fair few in the under-9s and under-10s but by under-14s you can see it getting less and less,” he told the ECHO.

“It's a far healthier situation with the numbers these days.”

The conveyor belt of talent at Kirkby has been rolling impressively with teenagers Curtis Jones, Rafa Camacho and Ki-Jana Hoever following in the footsteps of Trent Alexander-Arnold and being handed senior debuts by Jurgen Klopp this season.

With 68 appearances under his belt, Alexander-Arnold has now played more first-team games than any Academy graduate since Steven Gerrard burst on to the scene.

(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

However, in Kirkby a huge amount of time and effort has also been dedicated to the other end of the scale.

Ian Barrigan, who was responsible for signing up Alexander-Arnold over a decade ago, is the head of pre-Academy recruitment.

That essentially means trying to ensure that parents of gifted seven and eight year olds in the area view the Kirkby Academy as the best possible place for their children to continue their development.

For all the latest Liverpool news follow our live blog HERE

Under-9s is the first age group where youngsters can become officially registered to LFC. Before that they are entitled to train and play for any number of clubs.

“The pre-Academy for us is about educating parents about why Liverpool would be the right choice for them and trying to get the best talent within the North West,” Inglethorpe said.

“That area of our work has become massively more important. You have to get it right at that early stage.”

For clubs in London it's a different story. With migration in and out of the capital, it's not uncommon for a youngster aged 12 or 13 to suddenly burst on to the scene and catch the eye of a scout.

However, in Merseyside that's rare. You need to have an extensive scouting operation designed to spot and attract the most promising talent at under-9s level or risk missing out.

Rules state that clubs can only take on young players up to under-11s who lives within an hour's drive of an Academy. Above under-11s, it goes up to an hour-and-a-half.

“It's a sensible rule,” Inglethorpe said.

Read part two of our exclusive interview with Alex Inglethorpe here

“It stops boys spending a ridiculous number of hours on motorways at the expense of their schooling.

“As an Academy, we've started to become far better at looking at what long term potential looks like as opposed to just taking kids who have been involved in schools football for three years.

“It comes down to scout education. You might take a kid who hasn't had much coaching who comes in initially and makes a team worse, but he might have the raw bits you can work with – he moves well, has long levers and great ball technique.

“I am really pleased with the pre-Academy and the Foundation phase. We have got some wonderful players coming through.

“I am blown away by some of the quality we've got in the youth development phase and I have no doubt that some of these boys will play for the first team in the future, no doubt at all.”

A look at the photos on that giant magnetic board, especially at the lower age groups, also highlights how the Academy has become more culturally diverse in recent years and more representative of the community.

Another policy Inglethorpe has championed during his tenure was designed to combat the 'too much, too soon' culture of English football.

Inglethorpe – with the backing of the club's owners – decided to restrict first-year professionals to a basic salary of around £40,000 per year.

Contracts are heavily incentivised with bonuses linked to appearances and promotion to the first-team squad.

He believes Liverpool are benefiting from a strategy which rewards success rather than failure. It's about ensuring teenagers retain their hunger.

Read part three of our exclusive interview with Alex Inglethorpe here

“I'd say 90% of the boys who sign their first pro deal are on the same contract,” Inglethorpe said.

“Of course there are exceptions, especially if you have someone who is already playing for the first team. You have to reward exceptional progress.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

“I think it's a common sense approach. I've never worked with a player who has fulfilled his potential and been overpaid when he was young.

“I don't know another way of doing it. If you give kids ridiculous amounts of money they find it difficult to cope with it.”