Elsewhere on this site, you can read about the Liverpool Under-21s and the manner in which that team fits into the wider structure of the club as a whole. Here, we’re going to look at the same thing but with regard to the Under-18s. As with a lot of top clubs nowadays, there is a huge amount of interest in place for the younger players within the Academy, such is the hope that such youngsters may one day be able to break into the first team and make a real difference to Liverpool’s chance of success. When it comes to Liverpool, there have been countless examples of players doing just that.
Whether it be Robbie Fowler or Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher, the main team has long been bolstered by names that have made their way through the Academy. The question is, where about do the Under-18s fit in the grand scheme of things?
The Under-18s Place Within the Academy
Liverpool are able to sign players to join the Under-6s onwards. Obviously, the first thing that such young lads will do is play with their age group, looking to prove that they have what it takes to stay on at the club for longer and maybe one day run out at Anfield as part of the first team structure.
They make their way through each age group, aiming to become part of the Under-21 team that plays in the Professional Development League, which was brought in in the summer of 2012 as a replacement for the Reserves system that had been in place in England before that moment.
In terms of the different age groups, the Academy first boasts the Under-6s, which are taught alongside those in the Under-9s group. From there, it moves to become the Under-10s and Under-11s, whilst the next group is the Under-12s to the Under-14s. The final group that works alongside others is the Under-15s to the Under-16s, before the dedicated coaching teams begin to work with the Under-18s first and then the Under-21s.
@liverpoolfc An outstanding team goal by the LFC u18s, from start to finish. 👏 #lfc #liverpoolfc ♬ Memory Reboot – Narvent & VØJ
The Under-18s, as you can imagine, is the first team that trains with the players as adults, offering players a route through to the first team.
The Under-18s
The path to the first team is much easier to see when you’re in the Under-21s, if for no other reason than the fact that they are considered to be something of a reserve team for the first eleven. They even play in their own dedicated league, which is known as Premier League 2, which isn’t quite the same for the Under-18s.
They do play in a league, but it’s simply labelled as the Under-18s Premier League, which is split into North and South depending on the geographical location of the club in question. Obviously, Liverpool play in the North half of the table.
Steven Gerrard invited to Spain with Liverpool under-18s as a kid in 1993/94. #LFC #StevenGerrard
— Michael Emonds (@michaelje67.bsky.social) 11 May 2025 at 06:50
Whilst there are some players that make their way straight from the Under-18s into the first team, more often than not the progression is much more linear. Players need to prove themselves in the Under-18s, at which point they will be given the chance to play with the Under-21s and from there catch the eye of the manager and his first team coaches.
There is also the UEFA Youth League, which is for the Under-18s team to play in and look to learn about what life is like playing in European competition. It is a great chance for youngsters to learn and develop their game.
The Staff
Just as with the Under-21s, the Under-18s have specific members of staff who work with them in order to prepare them for life at the top of the English game and beyond. There is an acceptance from all concerned that the likelihood is that the players won’t all make it, even if the ideal situation would be for the Liverpool first team to be made up entirely of Academy graduates. As a result, time and effort are put in to preparing the players to make it in the game more generally, just in case they aren’t quite good enough to make it with the Reds. Here is a look at the staff that works with them:
- Manager: Simon Wiles
- Assistant Manager: Anthony Ryan
- Goalkeeping Coach: Neil Edwards
- Education Officer: Ted Smith
- Lead Physiotherapist: Phil Bolland
- Assistant Physiotherapist: Gregg Blundell
The staff all work under the auspices of Alex Inglethorpe, who is the Academy Director. It goes without saying, but obviously the exact name of each and every person working with the Liverpool Academy can change at any given moment, but this will at least give you a sense of the positions that are taken up.
