When Trent Alexander-Arnold made his debut against Tottenham in the League Cup back in 2016, just two weeks after his 18th birthday, nobody expected him to evolve into one of the best defenders in the world.

Now with over 300 appearances and 18 goals to his name including a beautiful free kick against Fulham on Sunday, Liverpool fans have manager Jürgen Klopp to thank for his faith in the now 25-year-old.

This type of faith has been replicated time and time again under Klopp’s reign with great a example being Harvey Elliott, who debuted at 16 years old. And then there are Curtis Jones (18 on debut), Conor Bradley (17) Ben Doak (17), Jarell Quansah (20) along with a ton of other exceptional youth players.

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Without this trust and reliance on young players coming through Liverpool’s world-class academy system, it is very likely the club may not have seen the success it has had in recent times. Huge achievements such as the Champions League and of course the Premier League may not have come true if it wasn’t for breakthrough prospects.

Now, with just five games left to go under Klopp’s leadership, it is crucial that the next person in charge follows in his footsteps. This means implementing a youth strategy that not only grows potential prospects for the first team but also gives them opportunities in the starting XI for them to impress. That has to be a non-negotiable.

Liverpool youth coach and former player Jay Spearing recently praised the work being done at the Academy, which has produced some incredible talent. "I think there’s been 40-odd Academy players who have made debuts under Jürgen so he trusts exactly what’s going on below the first team and then he trusts the players," he told the club website.

Spearing has overseen the recent developments of huge talents hoping to break through such as the likes of Jayden Danns, Bobby Clark and James McConnell and Lewis Koumas, all of whom have made an impact in Klopp’s senior side this season. And it is certain that when selecting the new Liverpool boss this confidence in academy graduates will be a requirement for the role.

Many managers, especially in the Premier League often opt for the market rather than their young sides, which could be a huge issue if the wrong person is selected. The preference for the market over upcoming teenagers is often one for other more affluent clubs who can spend what they like in each window to allow positions to be filled up with already established players. This is something Liverpool rarely does if a young player is bursting onto the scene in a similar position.

It remains to be seen who the next Liverpool manager might be. But it is evident that the club needs somebody who helps build for the future with sagacity rather than a quick fix or a type of neglect that could destroy the fantastic youth system already in place.

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Stefan Bajčetić took another step towards making a senior Liverpool comeback after missing most of this season through injury today. The Spaniard started for the Reds' U21s against Sunderland and was named in a line-up for the first time since mid-September.

Bajčetić was replaced at half-time but he is still working his way back to full fitness. The 19-year-old played half an hour off the bench at Old Trafford last week as the young Reds beat Manchester United but this was a more difficult outing for the team.

Against Sunderland, it was the host that came out on top despite Liverpool going ahead in the game through Lewis Koumas. The Black Cats turned the match around via goals from Harrison Jones and Tymur Tutierov.

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James McConnell, Bobby Clark and Trey Nyoni all started the match. But Barry Lewtas' side struggled to test the Sunderland goalkeeper often enough and ended up losing.

Fabian Mrozek, the Liverpool stopper, was excellent as he kept his side in contention. Sunderland was a physical test for a number of players — especially Clark, who came in for some rough treatment and was on the end of a number of strong tackles, quietly showing how much of an impression he has made — and should probably have won the match by more than one goal.

Jayden Danns also played in the game while Kaide Gordon started. Gordon is still working his way back from a long injury but he has impressed in the last few weeks, scoring against Manchester United and consistently playing 90 minutes throughout 2024.

The result leaves Liverpool sixth in Premier League 2, level with both Arsenal and Chelsea. The Reds host the Gunners on Sunday in their final fixture of the season.

Liverpool.com says: It is great to see Bajčetić working his way back into contention again. If he can get back to full sharpness over the summer, then the next Reds boss will have an instant boost when they come in. The former Celta Vigo starlet is a real talent and he showed that last season.

As soon as he is fully match fit again, he will offer a big injection of quality into the Liverpool midfield. Considering it is now a midfield that is thriving rather than struggling, that is especially intriguing. If he was that good when the Reds were playing poorly, how good might he look alongside the likes of Alexis Mac Allister?

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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has played down the injury that he sustained against Atalanta in the Europa League. The Dutchman dislocated a finger but was fine to carry on and then took to the field against Fulham this weekend.

"In the first minute against Atalanta it was pointing in the wrong direction," Van Dijk explained, via the Liverpool ECHO, post-Fulham. "It’s dislocated, yeah. I did it once before against Norway with Holland. It’s only a finger!"

Up next for Liverpool is a trip to Goodison Park to play Everton on Wednesday. The Reds need the points to maintain their fight with Arsenal and Manchester City for the Premier League title.

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And Van Dijk is confident that his side can put together a run of performances and results after a couple of wins saw Liverpool get back into something of a groove. With only five matches left of the season, the margin for error has now gone.

"We had six games to go and Fulham was a very big one," he continued. "We showed a reaction after some disappointing games. We did our job, we won. That’s what it’s all about. It was a good performance. Now it’s time to recover. We go again in three days, big game, Merseyside derby.

"We want to win it. That’s the mindset we always have. They will have that as well. Now we need to recover and take responsibility to be ready for Wednesday. It’s demanding for all of us. But we have that responsibility to do everything in our power to be ready for it. We’ll have a very light training session on Tuesday but a tactical one."

Liverpool.com says: Van Dijk knows the importance of keeping focused. Liverpool does not have that good a record at Everton under Klopp having only won there twice with the German, but that needs to be extended this midweek. If Liverpool does win the game, it will move four points clear of Manchester City, albeit Pep Guardiola's squad would then have two games in hand.

Manchester City could cope with the pressure — it has done so before — but it would shift the emphasis back onto Manchester City ahead of its trip to Brighton on Thursday. That is all that Liverpool can do at this stage of the campaign.

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