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Pep Lijnders watched with pride as Trent Alexander-Arnold was crowned Liverpool Young Player of the Year this week.

The Reds’ first-team development coach, who is the key link between the Kirkby Academy and Melwood, has played an important role in the teenager’s rise up the ranks.

It was the Dutchman who appointed Alexander-Arnold captain shortly after he took over Liverpool Under-16s in 2014.

A year later Lijnders was promoted to the first-team staff and this season the 18-year-old from West Derby has joined him at Melwood on a permanent basis.

Since making his debut against Tottenham in the EFL Cup, Alexander-Arnold has gone from strength to strength - clocking up a dozen senior appearances.

During an exclusive Q&A with the ECHO, Lijnders provided a fascinating insight into what has enabled the Liverpool youngster to make such rapid progress....

(Image: PA Wire)

Pep, when you arrived at the Liverpool Academy from Porto in 2014, was Trent someone who caught your eye immediately with his potential?

I received a squad with many interesting players, but Trent had a certain insight and creativity that meant he was able to play unpredictable passes. He had pace but more importantly he was quick in his mind.

He knew what was going to happen and had the capacity to improvise, opening up situations for himself or for others.

A right-sided defender who could create and dominate the complete right channel, but also had the ability to play passes to the front players where everything became interesting. He played the type of passes front players like to receive.

He had the gift to speed up the tempo of the positional play. In order to utilise those characteristics more often and give him more responsibility in the positional play I played him in front of a back three.

What was it about Trent that convinced you to make him captain?

By giving someone the armband you tell him indirectly a few things.

First and most importantly, I trust you and I trust your way of playing.

Second, I want you to be an example in everything this club stands for. Third, make the decisive actions when we need them the most.

It creates a specific concentration. With some type of players that’s the most effective way to get them concentrated and consistently concentrated, coaching creates sometimes the opposite.

Trent has gone from playing under-18s football to establishing himself in Jurgen Klopp’s senior squad in the space of 12 months. What’s been the key to his remarkable development?

I think Ovie Ejaria and Ben Woodburn helped as the three of them came through together.

Our first team players were all spot on with them and then there’s Jurgen, the way he spoke with them was top.

There is the direct influence and the indirect influence. The motor behind it is FSG in giving a six-year deal to the manager and saying: “Construct the team from all ways possible.”

Everyone wants ‘now, now, now’ but what’s more important is ‘build, build, build, invest, invest, invest,’ and then ‘now’ will never stop.

Having the talent is one thing, but with Trent his attitude and application seem equally impressive. Is he the perfect role model for other Academy youngsters coming through?

Yes because talent without fire is like a Ferrari without fuel. And fire is something that Trent has.

First, always comes love for the ball, the game and love for training. Passion and ambition is the starting point of everything that counts.

Every talent inside our club must unfold itself by showing that desire and fighting. Trent does this in every single session.

He has that Scouse mentality to go to and over the limits on the pitch. That’s what I lived and loved from the first day working at the Academy.

They played, tackled and talked each session like it was their last one.

Just play ‘winner stays on’ and you don’t know what you’ll see here in Liverpool!

When you look at what Trent has achieved this season, does it prove that you don’t need to go out on loan in order to bridge that gap between Academy football and the first team?

Many clubs say that going on loan is the pathway, but you have to ask yourself first maybe it’s the path because there is no pathway inside the club.

The eyes and the trust of the manager and of the first team players is like pure gold in terms of development.

He’s never been as fit as he is now and he can keep the same levels of aggression and concentration over 95 minutes which is a huge development. The ones who want it the most are the ones who get it.

We’ve seen Trent play at right-back and in midfield for the first team. Where do you think his future lies?

That’s a good question. I don’t know. I was convinced it was inside but now I don’t know any more. As long as it is for LFC and we win then it’s okay.

You’re the key link between the Academy and Melwood. How satisfying has it been to see so many young players get first-team opportunities this season and what does it say about the club’s youth set up?

Giving them chances is only the start. We believe they will represent us in the best way possible, now it’s about making the next step.

Don’t underestimate our talent. The club’s past showed this, our biggest legends showed this, and it will be shown again.

I really believe in this. It’s the responsibility you have working for a club like Liverpool FC.

But don’t forget these processes take months and years, but they can be undone in minutes if they don’t keep seeing every training session as their last one.

You can always do more than you think if you put your heart into the session, not giving 100% means indirect problems.

The Academy is the most important ‘signing’ the club makes each season.