Liverpool's new academy technical manager Piet Hamberg is determined to improve the number of homespun players breaking into the first team.

Hamberg told liverpoolfc.tv: "If you look at the past the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen and Steve McManaman all came through the Academy into the first team. But if you look back on recent years no players have come through into the first team.

"My goal personally is not to be champions with the Under-18s because I think too many coaches are focused on direct results and they want to win the game. So what are we going to do? Train the players how to defend and how to avoid a goal and then win the game on the counter-attack! If we do that we will never develop players for the first team. What we have to do is focus on the individual player.

"For example, we might have a player who reaches the age of 16 and he might be fast and strong but maybe technically you are not the best. What we will do then is focus on this individual and say, okay, well so many hours per the week we are going to work on your right foot, your left foot and make right what is missing and improve this player."