Liverpool’s academy has produced some incredible players during the Premier League era. Steven McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard famously all starred for the Reds after bursting onto the scene in the 90s.
Fast forward to the present day and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley and Caoimhin Kelleher are big parts of the senior squad after graduating from the academy.
However, the Reds’ academy hasn’t always been the ‘gold mine’ it is today. Throughout the noughties, it was regularly rued how Gerrard remained the last graduate to become a key first-team player.
Considering how fruitful the nineties had been, mentioned alongside Manchester United’s class of ‘92, onlookers were baffled at Liverpool’s failure to unearth the next Gerrard, Owen or Carragher. In the end it took multiple changes behind the scenes, overseen by the likes of Rafa Benitez and Brendan Rodgers, before the Reds truly got back on path under Klopp.
But that didn’t prevent Liverpool from boasting a number of highly-rated youngsters that ultimately didn’t quite live up to expectations during their barren run. And FourFourTwo’s list of the 100 best players in world football in 2001 demonstrates this extremely well.
Six Reds players featured in the list, with all placing in the top 40 and two in the top 10. Meanwhile, three future Liverpool players would make up the top five, with one future academy signing taking their overall contingent to 10. Yet, looking back, only one of those can actually claim to have actually been one of the best stars of their generation.
A number of the greatest players of the 21st century feature among the list. But when you consider 2007 Ballon d’Or winner Kaka, who lifted both the World Cup and Champions League during his illustrious playing career, only placed 95th, you have an idea about the direction we’re about to take.
Congratulations, Kaka! Back in 2001, you were rated higher than Alexander Hleb, David Prutton, Erdal Kilicaslan, Daniyel Cimen, and Benjamin Auer! Don’t worry, we can’t recall that latter trio either. Alas, Shaun Maloney and Kieran Richardson both placed higher than the legendary Brazilian in places 100-91.
Breaking into the eighties, we have our first future Liverpool player. Ramon Calliste. Then of Manchester United, he won the FA Youth Cup with the club in 2003 but left the Red Devils for the Reds in 2005 and was the reserves’ top goalscorer in 2005/06.
The Welshman joined Scunthorpe United after just one season, on the advice of national team manager John Toshack, but badly dislocated his ankle in his first pre-season. That injury ensured he could never live up to his early potential and forced him to walk away from the game.
