Never heard anything from Rodolfo but a really interesting read. His heart is clearly in it and a nice touch with his first born!
'We want world's top starlets'
28th Oct 2010 - Latest News
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It's fair to say a lot has happened at Liverpool Football Club since Rodolfo Borrell breezed through the Academy entrance in the summer of 2009.
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A new first-team manager and a change in ownership represent just two of the seismic ripples in the club's timeline; the result, an altogether different environment for the former Barcelona man.
The dawn of a new era is very much underway in L4, but while all around him seems to have shifted, Borrell has remained a constant, tirelessly applying the principles that served him so well during his time in Catalonia.
And few could argue with a CV that boasts the names of Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta; testament to the Spaniard's innate knack for moulding players into first-team stars.
Alongside Frank McParland, Kenny Dalglish and Pep Segura, he has spearheaded a new approach to the club's youth system, one that has already begun to pay dividends.
Last season Jack Robinson became the youngest player in Liverpool history while this year the likes of Tom Ince and David Amoo have had brief flirtations with Roy Hodgson's starting XI.
Borrell admits he is pleased with the progress they have made so far but insists there is still much work to do if Liverpool are to achieve their goal of having one of the best youth systems in Europe.
"When you look at the level of the Academy when I arrived here and the level at Barcelona then you can see that it takes time to get anywhere near that," he told Liverpoolfc.tv when we caught up with him at the Academy earlier this week.
"In the 15 months we have been here players have developed. That is obvious, everyone is talking about that.
"The new owners will have plans for the first-team and that is a priority, but my own opinion is that if we got a little bit more investment we could make the squad more competitive and ensure the very best young talent is found in Kirkby."
Borrell clearly has well defined ideas on how to take Liverpool's Academy to the next step, but that's not to say he underestimates the strides they've made so far.
"We have been working very hard," he continued.
"It's not just what myself and Pep Segura have done. Frank McParland and Kenny Dalglish have been massive in the progress since I arrived and, on a personal note, they have been tremendously helpful in helping me to settle into life here.
"That's important because all of the people involved in our youth set-up must share a vision. That is essential if we are to develop young players that are of the quality that Liverpool's first-team demands. It's impossible if there is a division.
"I think you can see the unity here and the result is the great progress we have made. All of the teams play with the same style, the same philosophy.
"This ensures continuity from team to team and coach to coach."
The summer departure of Rafael Benitez, the man who tasked Borrell with revamping the U18s, could have resulted in a complete change of emphasis.
However, the burgeoning coach has been delighted by the input of Hodgson and feels that the youth system in place will continue to improve under the new regime.
"Obviously Roy's main focus is the first-team and the majority of his time is spent planning with his squad," he said.
"But I do speak to him regularly. Sometimes here, sometimes at Melwood.
"He knows we've got some good players coming through.
"Andre Wisdom is showing big standards and then there are the likes of John Flanagan, Jack Robinson and Tom Ince. There are several players making progress towards the first-team. Of course, I'm pleased about that because my main target is to develop players.
"That is what I have been doing all of my life and that is why Liverpool brought me here."
Under the leadership of Borrell, Liverpool's U18s have emerged as one of the most stylish sides in the FA Premier Academy League.
An unbeaten 10 match run at the end of the 2009-10 season was followed by a bright opening this time around.
Such success inevitably leads to call-ups to the international scene and the prospect of a lull in results, a situation that the Reds coach sees as a double-edged sword.
"Sometimes we are struggling because we have had players called up. This does not mean that those that come in aren't very good," he said.
"It just means you have younger players and the opposition are much stronger physically. It was the situation we faced at the beginning of last season and the one we have had over the last few weeks.
"When you are Liverpool, the other teams put everything into it. In the last league game versus West Brom, they included a reserve goalkeeper as one of their over-age players.
"This was the first time he featured for them - why? Because they are playing Liverpool.
"It's not an excuse, it's just the reality we face when players are called up for the international team.
"The more success we have and the more we bring through talented players, then the more call-ups we will have. This is something for the club to be proud of, great for the players and myself, but not so good for the squad.
"You are losing these players and still being asked to play league matches. That is not the case at first-team level, so I do not understand why we do it with the Academy teams.
"If we are helping the national team then I think the FA must protect them. In Spain you have the right to postpone the game. I think this makes sense and I would like someone to think about implementing a similar system here."
The cosmopolitan nature of the modern game inevitably means that the search for young talent has taken on a global scale.
However, Borrell believes that the successful ingredients Liverpool are looking for is more likely to be unearthed nearer to Southport, rather than South America.
"I don't know all of the players across the country, but I admire the characteristics of a Scouse player, he has something special," he said.
"He is a player that learns quickly, is very competitive, aggressive and disciplined. He is always ready to fight for his team. I don't think that is the case for every player in England, I think there is something different about Scouse players.
"We are investing a lot more in players from around Liverpool.
"I am happy with all of our Scousers - but if you ask me if I see players with that extra special talent, like Lionel Messi, then I have to be honest. I do not see anyone of that calibre.
"But we have players with some good ingredients that with the right focus and hard work, will go through and be competitive for the first-team of Liverpool."
Borrell's passionate analysis of what he feels makes the archetypal Liverpool player shows he has a clear affinity with the club, one that has seen him immerse himself in the local culture.
His track record and success on the pitch is well documented but what of his life away from football?
"Sometimes if I have two days off - which doesn't happen often - I like to get out and see some of the country," he said. "I've been to York, Conwy, the Lake District...
"Many years ago I visited Britain for 25 days and went to the Isle of Sky, Glasgow and Inverness among other places. It was me and three friends who drove here in a car from Barcelona.
"As you can see, I'm not a typical Spaniard. I don't desire to go home when I have time off. Last season, I only went home for one week to see my family over Christmas. I think that shows how happy I am here.
"I have recently had a son and I wanted him to be born in Liverpool so that I will always remember my time here. I'm really proud I have a Scouser as a son!
"I spoke with my wife and we did discuss the possibility of him being born in Barcelona. But we finally decided to have him here. It was more my decision I suppose but I am really happy with it.
"I want my son to always remind me that I have been a part of a club that has one of the greatest histories in football."
Such words are expressed with endearing enthusiasm and it is obvious Borrell seems more than content with life on Merseyside - both on and off the pitch.
But what of the future? Does he see himself at Liverpool further down the line?
"I hope so," he added.
"I love Liverpool and want to ensure the future is bright for this great club. I hope I can help to bring through players that the fans are going to appreciate and, most importantly, lead the club to more trophy success."
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