Liverpool academy coach Jay Spearing, who regularly trains and plays with the U21s, has revealed the “hardest thing” in working with the club’s youngsters.
Spearing is nearing the end of his third season as a player-coach within the Liverpool academy, working with the U18s as well as playing for the U21s.
The 36-year-old has made five appearances for the academy side this season but the bulk of his work is in setting the standard in training – as he told That Peter Crouch Podcast.
“It’s kind of come as a bit of a full circle, especially joining the academy at seven and going all the way through, to then come back in and now I’m trying to get the next ones to come through,” Spearing explained.
“To me it’s a huge buzz – and obviously because I still get to play.
“On a day-to-day basis, I train most days, then obviously the coaching bit’s on the side at the minute.
“I’m trying to keep the boots on until someone literally takes them off me!”
Asked what the biggest difference is between playing with today’s youngsters and from when he was breaking through, Spearing pulled up the issue of communication.
“Do you know what the hardest thing is? Getting them to talk,” he replied.
“The talking in the game now is completely gone. Even trying to get one of the lads to shout to their mate, ‘man on’. It’s the hardest thing to get them to do.
“I think the game’s evolved and they just don’t want to do it, it’s a bit like ‘I’m not going to be cool enough if I shout man on’ or they’re going to be looked upon as if ‘I shouldn’t be doing that’.
“If anything you’re just helping your mate out on the pitch, which is dead strange but they just won’t do it.
“It’s a real thing that every single day we’re trying to bring out of them.
“I don’t shut up on the pitch, so they’re probably looking at me telling me to ‘f*** off’.”
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Sat alongside Spearing in an appearance ahead of the Liverpool Legends charity clash with Chelsea last month, Ryan Babel gave a similar account from his experience with son Riley.
“They do a lot of things well, but one of my boys, he’s 14, plays striker and he never opens his mouth to ask for the ball,” the Dutchman said.
“I’m like, ‘you have to get angry if you don’t get the ball, you’re a striker!’.
“He’s like ‘yeah, yeah’ but he doesn’t do it. I have to push him to be more vocal on the pitch.”
Though Spearing’s comments could paint the new generation of Liverpool players in a negative light, he was full of praise for their level of ability.
“The players that we’re bringing through are from all around the world. They’re international players at their level, U17s, U18s, U19s,” he continued.
“To be at Liverpool you’ve got to be a decent player to come and play. The lads are great, they’re a good bunch of lads, they’re quick, they’re fast.
“I’m just there to show on a daily basis what it takes to become a pro.
“In and around the gym, what they’re eating, the standards inside of football, outside of football and in training sessions giving absolutely everything, doing things properly.”
