Lend Me a Helping Hand...

[OldBlueLady]

Did Tony Hadley come through there as well Harry?

 

[canveyshrimper]

Did Tony Hadley come through there as well Harry?

Good call Kay, he did indeed.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Add to that.
Peter Taylor
Phil Dudley
John Walker
Alan & Jeff Hull
Sean Rafter

If you work on the premise that we are a selling club, then the likes of Taylor, Prior, Edwards, Edinburgh & Roget have earned us decent transfer funds.

I think Roget left on a free.

That dream move to Ajax never came off.

 

[canveyshrimper]

I think Roget left on a free.

That dream move to Ajax never came off.

You are probably right, I am sure that Stockport paid a fee for him, but can't recall if it was us or not.

 

[EastStandBlue]

manchester city have a great record of academy players playing in the first team

stephen ireland, daniel sturridge, michael johnson, nedum onuha, micha richards, wright phillips to name a few now that is a productive academy, I think ched evans also as mentioned above LFC nowhere near this

If we're going to be pedantic about this, then...

Micah Richards, signed from Oldham.
Shaun Wright-Phillips, signed from Nottingham Forest.
Daniel Sturridge, signed from Coventry.

But, if you're going to count those as Academy Graduates, then Liverpool can lay claims to:

Steven Gerrard
Jamie Carragher

As well as:

Lucas Leiva
David N'Gog
Damien Plessis
Kristian Nemeth
Nabil El-Zhar

All signed for the club as teenagers and played academy games before progressing into the first team.

So it depends as what you clarify as a product of the youth academy, and how useful you deem them to be... As players who don't make it at Liverpool often fetch 6 figure sums, in the mould of Neil Mellor and countless others, which all contribute towards paying for the costs of the Academy itself.

 

[leeblue]

I appreciate that many academy 'graduates' are nicked from other clubs SUFC have just seen this first hand with everton taking one of our brightest prospects, in fact I not sure that this sort of deal is good for the game as it now comes down to money even at yoof level

 

[chapperzUK]

manchester city have a great record of academy players playing in the first team

stephen ireland, daniel sturridge, michael johnson, nedum onuha, micha richards, wright phillips to name a few now that is a productive academy, I think ched evans also as mentioned above LFC nowhere near this

They also had Ryan Giggs in their youth system for a couple of years until Alex Ferguson offered him a contract.

 

[maninasuitcase]

I appreciate that many academy 'graduates' are nicked from other clubs SUFC have just seen this first hand with everton taking one of our brightest prospects, in fact I not sure that this sort of deal is good for the game as it now comes down to money even at yoof level

That, unfortunately, is football. Money nearly always talks.

However, we will get money for him if he progresses through the Everton ranks.

 

[chapperzUK]

If we're going to be pedantic about this, then...

Micah Richards, signed from Oldham.
Shaun Wright-Phillips, signed from Nottingham Forest.
Daniel Sturridge, signed from Coventry.

Lucas Leiva
David N'Gog
Damien Plessis
Kristian Nemeth
Nabil El-Zhar

Good points here.

Sturridge went to Man City in 2003, when he was 14 and therefore still had a long way to go until he could play first team football.
SWP went ot Man City in 1996, when he was 15. He was slightly more developed.
Richards went to Man City in 2001, when he was only 13.

These never went through the youth system.
Lucas Leiva joined Liverpool in 2007 when he was 20.
David N'Gog moved in the summer when he was 19.
Damien Plessis moved in 2007 when he was 20.
Krisztian Nemeth moved in 2007 when he was 18.
Nabil El-Zhar moved to Liverpool in 2006 when he was 19/20.