Excellent article from Tony Barrett
Flanagan's Contract Shows He Is The Real Deal
ONE of the best football books of recent times is The Secret Diary Of A Liverpool Scout, the story of how Geoff Twentyman helped create a dynasty of success at Anfield through an inspired recruitment process that saw a succession of top players signed long before they had become household names. There are times, though, that you donât need the expert eye of a scouting legend like Twentyman to identify and appreciate top talent simply because it stands out so much that anyone can spot it.
It happens only occasionally but think back to Michael Owenâs one man demolition job on Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup when, at just 16 years of age he scored a stunning hat trick to confirm suspicions that he was a star in the making. An incident involving Wayne Rooney in the same competition also springs to mind when the then Everton youngster had a right footed 30-yard free kick blocked by the Tottenham wall only to smash the rebound into the back of the net with his left. Anyone sat in the stands on those occasions could see that Owen and Rooney would make it and they did.
It isnât always goals that make young players stand out, though, and in the case of Jonathan Flanagan, who this week confirmed his rise from youth ranks to first team by signing a richly deserved four year contract, heâs probably long since forgotten the moment when he convinced a lot of seasoned Anfield watchers that he had what it takes to graduate from Liverpoolâs Academy with honours.
It came in an under-18 game against Everton at Finch Farm, a derby that was as ferociously competitive as any that have been seen at senior levels in recent times. Liverpool ended up winning an enthralling contest 4-3 but the scoreline wasnât the most significant thing that happened that day â Flanaganâs coming of age took that honour.
Flanagan had been on the receiving end of a stray elbow from an Everton player which the referee missed and he was clearly upset at the challenge. It would have been easy for him to react the wrong way and perhaps get himself into a bit of trouble but he calmly got on with the game, letting his football do the talking instead of being drawn into doing something foolish.
That showed his growing maturity but it didn't suggest he was losing his competitive edge because when the chance came to let his aggressor know that he wouldn't be bullied Flanagan took it, producing a tackle of such ferocity that his opponent ended up not knowing which part of his body required treatment the most. Best of all, though, was the fact that Flanagan had taken the ball, it was the cleanest of tackles but also one of immense power. In a single instance, he had passed tests of temperament, physicality and skill. From that point on, the Childwall-born youngsterâs rise to the first team was as inspirational as it was inevitable.
Even with all the positive signals there was still a degree of trepidation for many when Flanagan made his first team debut against Manchester City at Anfield towards the end of last season. No matter how talented a young player is or how good people are expecting him to be, no-one knows for sure how they will acquit themselves at the highest level before they have actually attempted it. In Flanaganâs case, though, perhaps there should have been no such worries because as his outstanding performance that night ultimately proved, he has passed every single test of his fledgling career with flying colours. After the game, the only surprise for Kenny Dalglish was that anyone was surprised at just how well Flanagan had done. The manager had never had any doubts and â apart from being the only thing that really matters â that goes to show just how talented the 18-year-old is.
From that point on Flanagan has never looked out of place in the first team and more importantly he looked every inch a proper Liverpool player. Good on the ball, unstintingly competitive and fully committed to the cause, Flanagan is hewn from the same granite rock as the very best Scouse full backs. Think of the likes of Tommy Smith and Gerry Byrne and you get an idea of the tradition that Flanagan is following. He may have a long way to go before he can live up to their legendary standards but he could not have made a better start to doing so.
The long term contract that Dalglish has rewarded him with is evidence of just how highly thought of he is. The same goes for the fact that when Liverpoolâs scouting department assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the first team squad in order to identify potential transfer targets, the one position they felt did not need strengthening was right back. That was down to Flanaganâs emergence. Should he continue his current rate of improvement and progression then he could go on to be a Liverpool regular for years to come and if the giant strides he has made in the last couple of years are anything to go by then it is easy to visualise a future in which the versatile defender has a key role to play for the club he has supported since he was a boy.
Having set such high standards for himself so early in his career the challenge for Flanagan is to keep on proving time and time again that he can reach those levels. But all the indications are that he is up to that task of continuing his flawless transition from youth team to first team and Dalglish, the man who matters most, has supreme confidence in his protégé.
"He just needs to continue to build on the good start he's made,â the Liverpool manager said earlier this week.â He never got carried away with the success he had and the many complimentary words that were spoken about him, and I'm sure he won't get carried away with signing a new contract. Sometimes you rest on your laurels but I'm sure he won't."
Praise doesnât come much higher than that and in the case of Jonathan Flanagan it could not be more richly deserved.
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