New Signing from Spain!

No not Torres, or a picture of an advertising hoarding in Madrid  but another youngster for the future, at least its at centre half which will make a nice change.


http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/28062007/4/reds-youth-recruitment-continues.html

Reds' Youth Recruitment Continues
Thu 28 Jun, 02:10 PM


Liverpool have captured a second top European teenager inside two days as boss Rafael Benitez's summer spending gathers pace.

Just a day after Levski Sofia announced that Bulgarian international goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov would be joining Liverpool on a three-year deal, Athletic Bilbao confirmed that young defender Mikel San Jose was also bound for Anfield.

While Benitez and Liverpool are still locked in talks over their plans to sign Atletico Madrid's striker Fernando Torres, it is also clear the Spaniard remains committed to bolster the younger players at the club.

San Jose, 18, will move for a fee of around £270,000. Bilbao were aiming to use the youngster in their second team next season, but a club statement said: "For us it is bad news, but Mikel has decided on the choice of Liverpool and it was impossible for us to fight against a European giant."

San Jose added: "It was a surprise for me but I have decided to accept the chance at Liverpool.

"I am very excited but now I know that I have to work more each day to get in the first team."

The arrival of Mihaylov will put pressure on England squad man Scott Carson, who has been told that he will be Jose Reina's number two next season and will not be allowed out on loan again.

Mihaylov is the son of Bulgarian soccer federation chairman, Borislav Mihaylov - the former Reading 'keeper - and celebrates his 19th birthday today.

He has been a regular in Bulgaria's Under-21 side and has made one full international appearance. He already has Champions League experience, playing for Levski Sofia against Werder Bremen last season.

Although Benitez's only other top-line signing so far this season is Bayer Leverkusen striker Andriy Voronin on a free transfer, two young Hungarians also started training with the club today.

Krisztian Nemeth and Andras Simon, are hoping to make a big impression at Anfield, and hope for first-team action within two seasons.

The teenagers were signed from MTK Budapest and 18-year-old Nemeth said: "We hope that in a year or two we can make our debut in the first team.

"I'm very happy with this, I think this is great news for our whole country. It's a big honour."

Simon, 17, added: "We want to play regular football in the reserves. We will do our best to step forward as soon as it's possible."

The pending arrival of a clutch of new youth talent at Anfield coincides with the announcement of a restructuring of the academy.

Former Ajax player Piet Hamberg was yesterday unveiled as the club's new academy technical manager with Under-18 coach John Owens promoted to academy manager.

The pair will work alongside Malcolm Elias, who joined Liverpool from Southampton last summer, and is in charge of recruitment.

The appointments follow the retirement of Steve Heighway after 18 years in charge of the academy.

Chief executive Rick Parry said: "Steve Heighway's departure gave us a chance to assess things and it was felt the role in charge of the academy had become too big for one person so it made sense to separate the two sides of the role.

"We wanted to bring someone in to concentrate solely on the technical side of things, on being out on the pitch coaching, while also having someone in charge of the managing of the academy.

"Steve's great strength was coaching and yet a lot of time in the role would be spent in the office. John Owens has been with us a long time and understands the system and Liverpool, while Piet will be able to concentrate on doing what he does best, which is coaching the young players."

Good news

Good news

but another youngster for the future, at least its at centre half which will make a nice change.

Sorry guys, but quite frankly, I am absoliutely disgusted by yet another Spanish youth signing.

The kids at Liverpool's Academy have worked hard all their careers, probably joining at an early age, and have won 2 consecutive FA Youth Cup's for Liverpool.  Rafa Benitez may well be reminded that his senior team won nothing at the end of season shake-up.

What a kick in the teeth it must be, as many of them are shown the Anfield door, that a youth player from the manager's home country we happily pay over a quarter of a million pound for - no experience of English football - no understanding of the traditions of our club - and having not won the FA Youth Cup for a proud Liverpool youth team.

Why did we build that Academy exactly...

If you think this is a good buy, then you need your heads examining.

Think of the effect on the 13,14,15 year olds working hard at Liverpool's Academy desperate to follow the likes of Gerrard... instead they see the lads a couple of years older than them replaced by 'expensive' Spanish imports.

Not a good day for Liverpool.

Why don't they just rename it El Academy.

from ssn: Liverpool have completed the capture of Athletic Bilbao defender Mikel San Jose.

The 18-year-old central defender becomes Liverpool's second signing of what has been a quiet pre-season, after the two clubs struck an accord over a €400,000 (£270,000) fee.

San Jose is highly thought of at the Basque outfit and was expected to progress to the club's second team next season, after a series of mature displays in junior sides.

Bilbao concede they were loath to let a player of promise leave, but have wished him well as he sets about a fresh challenge on Merseyside.

"For us it is bad news, but Mikel has decided on the choice of Liverpool and it was impossible for us to fight against a European giant," read a club statement.

San Jose is now looking forward to the opportunity to link-up with his compatriot Rafa Benitez (pictured) at Liverpool.

"It was a surprise for me but I have decided to accept the chance at Liverpool," said San Jose.

"I am very excited but now I know that I have to work more each day to get in the first team."

Sorry guys, but quite frankly, I am absoliutely disgusted by yet another Spanish youth signing.

The kids at Liverpool's Academy have worked hard all their careers, probably joining at an early age, and have won 2 consecutive FA Youth Cup's for Liverpool.  Rafa Benitez may well be reminded that his senior team won nothing at the end of season shake-up.

What a kick in the teeth it must be, as many of them are shown the Anfield door, that a youth player from the manager's home country we happily pay over a quarter of a million pound for - no experience of English football - no understanding of the traditions of our club - and having not won the FA Youth Cup for a proud Liverpool youth team.

Why did we build that Academy exactly...

If you think this is a good buy, then you need your heads examining.

Think of the effect on the 13,14,15 year olds working hard at Liverpool's Academy desperate to follow the likes of Gerrard... instead they see the lads a couple of years older than them replaced by 'expensive' Spanish imports.

Not a good day for Liverpool.

Why don't they just rename it El Academy.

i undertsand what you are saying but if hes got the potential to be a good player for our club then he should be signed. im sure if our homegrown players were better than him then they will get a better chance of getting into the first team. I also back rafas plans to bring in promising young players regardless of thier nationality due to the fact that many people complained when our young players were humiliated against arsenals who were generally made up of froign imports who played first class football that night.
I totally understand what you are saying because i would love a new fowler , gerrard or carragher to come through but the simple fact is if they are our youth players are deemed not good enough for our first team then all we can do sign forigners while investing in training our local lads to a better standard.
the thing is we are or at least we are attempting to be a top top club who wins things year in year out and this makes it very hard for the local players to be deemed good eough for our club. when you think of it , how many scousers playing in the prem would you be truly happy playing in our team (only based on skill) , who you believe to be championship winning players. I  personally can only think of Rooney who has the class to play for our team. Im confident that another world class local lad will eventually come through as weve always produced top class footballers but until that happens we have no choice but to look elsewhere and with the likes of chelsea snapping up all the other english promising players then we have to look futher afield for young players ie abroad.

most of these young players get loaned out then sold within three years so theres no piont signin them.

bring back kronkamp ha ha ha ha ha   

this signing is a load of bollocks !!!!!   

Sorry guys, but quite frankly, I am absoliutely disgusted by yet another Spanish youth signing.

The kids at Liverpool's Academy have worked hard all their careers, probably joining at an early age, and have won 2 consecutive FA Youth Cup's for Liverpool.  Rafa Benitez may well be reminded that his senior team won nothing at the end of season shake-up.

What a kick in the teeth it must be, as many of them are shown the Anfield door, that a youth player from the manager's home country we happily pay over a quarter of a million pound for - no experience of English football - no understanding of the traditions of our club - and having not won the FA Youth Cup for a proud Liverpool youth team.

Why did we build that Academy exactly...

If you think this is a good buy, then you need your heads examining.

Think of the effect on the 13,14,15 year olds working hard at Liverpool's Academy desperate to follow the likes of Gerrard... instead they see the lads a couple of years older than them replaced by 'expensive' Spanish imports.

Not a good day for Liverpool.

Why don't they just rename it El Academy.

JD mate my post was merely to state the fact that we had signed another youth player instead of the expected Torres and the flippant remark regarding him being a centre half was because we recently seem to be after any centre mid player that was going, I would also have to question what is going on at the academy that warrants this steady stream of young players from Europe, I mean was Steve Heighway and his staff really doing such an abysmal job?

I would also have to question what is going on at the academy that warrants this steady stream of young players from Europe, I mean was Steve Heighway and his staff really doing such an abysmal job?

Exactly.  They are just not being given the chance in the first team.  Those last four or five games of the Premiership last season were the ideal opportunity to blood some of the youth players.  I think possibly even Houllier would have used them for this purpose.

If they're better than the lads we have then I have no problem with it.  I suspect as somebody said - that we'll never head anything from this kid until we loan him back to some Segunda Liga side.

Sorry guys, but quite frankly, I am absoliutely disgusted by yet another Spanish youth signing.

The kids at Liverpool's Academy have worked hard all their careers, probably joining at an early age, and have won 2 consecutive FA Youth Cup's for Liverpool.  Rafa Benitez may well be reminded that his senior team won nothing at the end of season shake-up.

What a kick in the teeth it must be, as many of them are shown the Anfield door, that a youth player from the manager's home country we happily pay over a quarter of a million pound for - no experience of English football - no understanding of the traditions of our club - and having not won the FA Youth Cup for a proud Liverpool youth team.

Why did we build that Academy exactly...

If you think this is a good buy, then you need your heads examining.

Think of the effect on the 13,14,15 year olds working hard at Liverpool's Academy desperate to follow the likes of Gerrard... instead they see the lads a couple of years older than them replaced by 'expensive' Spanish imports.

Not a good day for Liverpool.

Why don't they just rename it El Academy.

I totally and utterly agree with you.