Kid Liam is making impact in times of trouble
WHEN Wayne Rooney made his senior debut in August 2002, Liam Thompson was three months old.
The midfielder is younger than the first Harry Potter movie and was only 53 days old when Rivaldo and Ronaldinho broke English hearts in the 2002 World Cup.
Derby County’s academy has a habit of producing accomplished midfielders. Thompson is the latest, following in the footsteps of Max Bird, Jason Knight, Louie Sibley and Louie Watson (though he had a stint in West Ham United’s academy before joining the Rams).
When Bird and Knight stepped up to the first team, Thompson took his opportunity in the Academy and did not miss a beat.
Behind the scenes, coaches loved his dogged attitude and determination, with some feeling he could be moulded into the next Knight. Although Knight has been a more versatile piece with the senior squad, he excelled in central midfield at academy level.
Thompson is young, still raw in places and there are the smallest of concerns that his size could see him pushed around by bigger, more brutish Championship midfielders though his small stature has not stopped him in his quest thus far.
But age has been no barrier to making it into Rooney’s squad. The 19-year-old has been trusted to start the last four League games for the Rams. Considering the opponents have included the Championship’s top three, it is even more of a compliment.
Recent weeks have been a whirlwind time for Thompson, who found out he would be making his senior League debut in a video session before the 3-2 victory over Bournemouth.
“The Gaffer just said in front of all the lads he’s going to be starting me on Sunday. I was overwhelmed, absolutely buzzing. I just couldn’t wait to play,” said Thompson. “There were a few tears from my mum and my dad, they were so proud. It was a good day.”
The midfielder has been on Rooney’s radar for some time. In the aftermath of Phillip Cocu’s sacking and Rooney taking over as manager, he invited several promising youngsters to train with the first team and encouraged them to grasp their chance to impress him as he looked to forge his squad.
Those spells training with the first team continued and Thompson continued to impress Rooney. It is believed the coaching staff are high on his ability to be a building block for Derby as they enter an uncertain period which could see them lose most of their squad to expiring contracts or sales as they look to keep costs down.
It has all culminated in Rooney praising “as good a debut as I have ever seen”.
Sometimes in team drills, he can be aggressive and not afraid to get tight and physical. Ryan Conway
Since he has been training on a consistent basis with the first team, Thompson has been described as a “sponge” who soaks up information from his coaches. He has also been working closely with Justin Walker, who oversaw a large part of his development while in charge of the Rams academy team.
Sometimes in team drills, he can be aggressive. Nipping at the heels of his bibbed opponents and not afraid to get tight and physical.
The Bournemouth game was not his first exposure to first team football, though his first taste of action with the senior squad was less than ideal. In January, after the first team was forced to isolate due to Covid19, Thompson was part of an FA Cup side made up entirely of academy players which lost 2-0 to Chorley.
Thompson was also part of Rooney’s pre-season plans but due to a transfer embargo limiting the number of senior players the Derby manager could register, Thompson had to wait for his chance.
Now he is making an impact. Though the midfielder cites Andreas Iniesta as his inspiration, his difference can be felt more keenly in the defensive side of the game.
Shuttling across the base of mid
field to protect the back four and dropping into vacated positions by the full-backs who marched forwards, Thompson provided a steady backbone.
Right now his role is that of a water carrier in midfield. Partnered by Bird and Graeme Shinnie in the middle of the park, the trio can be workmanlike at times, lacking a touch of creativity.
But Bird possesses the ability to play between the lines and Ravel Morrison has been helping create opportunities through the middle. It all adds up to help make Thompson’s job as simple as possible.
But that is not to say he is entirely a destroyer. Though the gaps he wishes to pass into close up quicker at senior level, he has still probed and prodded around, attempting passes into the final third.
That has yet to translate into chances being created, though.
At this moment, Thompson is not the artist his idol Iniesta is. Perhaps that role is not for him.
His game seems more suited to being the next Claude Makelele than the next Iniesta, but his career is still in the very early stages and is still able to be shaped, like a pliable piece of clay.