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Alex Inglethorpe has vowed that Liverpool FC will continue to produce home-grown talent as he insisted: “We must be the club that every young Scouse boy wants to play for.”

The Reds cast their net far and wide across the globe when it comes to recruiting players with last summer’s intake including Dutch youth international Bobby Adekanye from Barcelona and Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi.

However, the Academy director says the priority remains getting teenagers from the Merseyside area into Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

Liverpool have lost their Scouse heartbeat in recent years following the departures of legendary duo Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard. Jon Flanagan, Jordan Rossiter and Connor Randall are currently the only local youngsters in the first-team set-up.

But Inglethorpe believes that situation will change over the coming years as other starlets at the Academy start to fulfil their potential.

“We must be the club that every young Scouse boy wants to play for,” Inglethorpe told the ECHO.

“We need to bring that back. And we need to make sure we don’t clog the pathways for our own talents in the local area.

“I think it is important that there are young talents coming through who represent the Merseyside area. It’s something which has always been the heartbeat of the team.

“There has always been local boys representing Liverpool and I firmly believe there are local boys in the system currently who will play for this club in the future.

“Of course if a top talent comes along who can go to the top of the group then it’s really important they are considered because it’s a global game. It’s a global market and we have to respect the fact that we should be competing for the best talents, but not at the expense of our own youngsters.

“The blend and the mix has to be right. I don’t think we should take boys just to help us improve teams. That makes no sense to me.

“If we are going to ask a boy to leave his hometown or his country it’s because we believe he has the potential to play for Liverpool, not because we think he’s going to help us win the FA Youth Cup.”

Heighway return will be key

One man who will once again have a big part to play in recruiting and developing local talent is Kop legend Steve Heighway, who recently returned to the Academy on a full-time consultancy basis.

His CV commands respect having won four league titles and two European Cups during a trophy-laden 11-year playing spell with Liverpool before moving into coaching.

During Heighway’s 18-year stint as the Reds’ head of youth development he guided the likes of Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman, Michael Owen, Carragher and Gerrard.

The 67-year-old retired in 2007 but Inglethorpe is delighted to have him back on board.

“There are very few people working in youth development today who have devoted their lives to it,” he said.

“Steve will have seen a complete cycle of players. He will have seen Steven Gerrard as a young kid and also seen him at the end of his career. He has an incredible wealth of knowledge.

“He has got fantastic integrity, really humble and is a good person who understands the club and the Academy. He’s someone I know I can learn from on a daily basis. It’s the same for the other coaches and the players.

“The kids have taken to Steve for one reason - he knows what he’s talking about and is very good at delivering it.

“He’s very honest with them. They probably care less about Steve Heighway the player and more about how he comes in and improves them as young players.

“Of course he will also have a role with speaking to parents and recruitment. He wants to come in and help in any way that he can.

”If that means speaking to a player or a parent or a coach, I’m more than comfortable with that. It will be terrific to get it from someone who has so many anecdotes and real life experiences.”

Heighway described Inglethorpe as a “persuasive man” after finally deciding to accept the chance to return to the club he left during Rafa Benitez’s time as manager.

“Steve needed to know that there was a role for him here - that it wasn’t a token gesture and that he wouldn’t be twiddling his thumbs,” Inglethorpe added.

“He wanted to know what would be expected of him. It was right that he took some time to make his decision.

“In the end I don’t think it was me that persuaded him, I think it was probably the young lads.

“I see him as a coach and player mentor. At the moment he will come in and work with the under-15s/16s but if he thinks he can add value to any of the other age groups then he’ll do that.

“He did some work with the under-12s last season, who are now our under-13s, and he will go out and watch them. He is starting to become more aware of the under-14s. I’d say through 13s through to 16s he has a real sphere of influence on the coaches and the players.”

What do you think the Reds can do to make sure they are more attractive to local youngsters? Let us know in the comments section, or @LivEchoLFC