Eccleston’s Liverpool saga highlights a bigger problem
Nathan Eccleston contract refusal raises a few issues
Last week when Nathan Eccleston reportedly turned down a contract with Liverpool it barely made the headlines and if you aren’t a Liverpool fan you would not be alone in not knowing who he is.
The 18 year old Manchester born striker reportedly turned down an extension to his current deal and although he is contracted to the club until 2012, his decision to reject the Anfield club’s offer has caused quite a stir amongst Liverpool fans.
The word is despite making a cameo against Arsenal in their recent Carling Cup defeat then his league debut against Fulham in the subsequent game, Eccleston is worried about his first team opportunities at Anfield.
The youngster has been making quite a name for himself in the reserves and his performances saw him called up to the squad at the Emirates and Craven Cottage. Along with Daniel Sanchez Ayala, Daniel Pacheco and David Amoo, Eccleston is held in high regard so when he rejected the contract it obviously raised a few eyebrows.
Despite Eccleston’s fear about first team opportunities the saga also embodied another problem. When was the last time Liverpool had cultivated a player from its academy?
You would have to look back to the likes of Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen to find a young player who had made his way up the ranks at the Merseyside club to forge a career in the first team. Jay Spearing is regularly named as a first team sub but doesn’t make it on field and appears stuck in the mire between the reserves and the first team.
Whereas Arsenal can boast of Cesc Fabregas, Gael Clichy, Kieran Gibbs amongst others who have come from their academy and reserves to cement first team places Liverpool have no one of recent memory and this is a worrying trend not only at Liverpool but all across England.
Of the three players mentioned above two are not English and it is indicative of the problem English football faces. For various reasons England is failing to produce talent the way other countries do and because they can’t find the players here, managers look abroad and thus the English game suffer as a result.
The introduction of the home grown rule next season should have helped put an end to this but with loopholes in its design, managers can continue to purchase from abroad as the term ‘home grown’ applies to ANY player who has been registered with an English or Welsh club for 3 years before their 21st birthday.
Eccleston faces the prospect of having to get past David N’Gog, whose stock is rising with every appearance, Andriy Voronin and Fernando Torres if he wants to become a first team regular at Liverpool and this is an unenviable task for any 18 year old.
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Steven Warnock
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This story really worried me. I have been watching Eccleston in the reserves for a while and he is potentially brilliant.
I acn fully understand where he is coming from.
The real issue is I cannot see an immediate solution, unless Benitez starts to include him o the bench more.
I would not like to lose this lad, along with Pacheco, Nemeth, Kelly and Ayala they are the future of the club.
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Insua
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Ecclestone looks like he will be a very good striker, but he’s not quite ready for the first team yet. The story seems to suggest that he is impatient (which is a good thing) and/or that he overrates himself (which is not).
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Anybody who knows anything about our reserves (and not just what they read on the internet) would be well aware of the situation.
Yes he was offered a new contract but more to protect his resale value than anything else as he already wlks around with a big entourage and thinks he’s made it alreadyafter 2 1st team appearances. Yes he’s a good player but lets wait and see as I think he has Carl Court (remember him???) written all over him.
And if he does want to leave the greast club in the world then I guess we can put it down to his Manc roots!!!!!!
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Chudi Onwuazor where did Insua start his LFC carrer???
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Steve Warnock hardly forged a career at Anfield not like Gerrard, Owen or Carragher and since joining on loan from Boca Juniours in 2006 Insua has made 33 first team appearances. Hardly outstanding if you consider how many Kieran Gibbs has made since his debut in 2007
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How do you mean where? He joined on loan from Boca Juniors
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Yeah Chudi. Gibbs has made a massive number of appearances for arsenal compared to Insua…i do believe a bit of research would’ve told you he has made 11 appearances since 2007.
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Took the words right out of my mouth Ruairi!
just on fabregas i don’t think arsenal developed him at all, when he was “bought” from Barca he was played by arsenal pretty much straight away, not as though arsenal took a good player and turned him great, everyone at Barca knew this guy was class, but unfortunately could not secure him because of his age.
I think arsenal poached more than developed him
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