Progress more important

By Mighty Reds
April 16 2007

Rafa Benitez has wished Liverpool’s Youth Team good luck for their first leg Youth Cup Final against Manchester United but he believes that progress is more important than winning a cup

He’d like to see the players keep up their good work and make it in to the first team eventually by at least one a year.

He said:

"It is important for a club like ours to see their young players in finals. But what is more important is that you see them improve and reach the first team," says the Liverpool boss.

"We are really proud that they won the Youth Cup last season and they are in the final again. I hope very much that they win, but the most important thing is to see them progress.

"I have watched them and they have good players. But it is maybe too soon for them to be challenging for the first-team squad, they will need to work really hard to achieve that.

"It is more difficult for them to play in the first team at our level because of the standard of the senior players.

"I have plenty of experience working in academies in Madrid. The key is not to win trophies, but to see the players progressing and ready for the first team."

"We will only be happy when we see these youngsters playing in the senior side.

"It is normal at top clubs for it to be more difficult for youngsters to get through because of the players that are bought for the senior squad.

"It was the same when I was at Real Madrid, it is the same with big clubs in England.

"I have known senior squads at Madrid with 40 players, and of that maybe 14 were from the academy. That is success, that is what means an academy is successful."