The Liverpool Academy

The construction of the Liverpool's football academy in Kirkby has been completed. This site is home to Liverpool FC's potential young stars. The club first team will continue to train at Melwood, while the up and coming youngsters will horn their skills at the new academy.

The academy is run by Steve Heighway, Liverpool's Director of Youth Football, also a Reds winger from 1970 to 1981. While the main objective of the academy is to groom young lads into future football stars, it also understands that most of these will not make the professional ranks. Thus the academy also has equally excellent educational facilities to provide the stars with academic advice.

The new Kirkby site will have 12 pitches of different size - full, intermediate and junior.

Liverpool can take pride in the number of stars produced at the academy. The most recent ones include Steve McManaman, Dominic Matteo, Jamie Carragher, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen.  These young rising stars definitely put Liverpool's academy up amongst the ranks of other famous football club academies like Ajax and rival Manchester United

Steve McManaman
Turned pro on 19/2/90

Robbie Fowler
Turned pro on 24/4/92

Jamie Carragher
Turned pro on 9/10/96

Dominic Matteo
Turned pro om 27/5/92

Michael Owen
Turned pro on 18/12/96

David Thompson