Who’s who? Key figures in the approach

Alex Inglethorpe

Academy director since August 2014, Inglethorpe joined Liverpool in November 2012 as under-21 manager after six years at Tottenham Hotspur. Signed a new contract in November, the same month as he was recorded discussing with the boy’s elder brother why they couldn’t sign the boy or pay his school fees while the family had a complaint lodged with the Premier League. A former Watford striker, Inglethorpe famously managed Exeter City to a goalless draw at Manchester United in the 2004-05 FA Cup.

Nick Marshall

Head of academy football operations since August 2014, Marshall previously coached at Barnsley and Leeds United before spending 16 years at Nottingham Forest, 14 as academy manager, and one year as a youth coach educator at the Football Association. Now responsible for implementing the Elite Player Performance Plan at Liverpool.

Ian Barrigan

Head of preacademy recruitment and player retention, Barrigan has been at Liverpool for two decades, joining the club’s youth set-up as a local scout in 1997. He is credited with luring the likes of Jon Flanagan, Brad Smith and Jordan Rossiter to Anfield. Appointed head of recruitment in the summer of 2010, he leads a large network of scouts responsible for recruiting six-to-14year-olds from the local area.