Flying the Flag : Liverpool's All-British XI

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The recent signing of Stewart Downing has confirmed an otherwise unsaid transfer policy that Liverpool FC will give priority to British players.

Some fans complain that the price of British footballers is inflated, and there is some truth to that. But if you cast your mind back a few years ago to when UEFA introduced the Home Grown Players rule, those same fans at the time were probably complaining that young British players were not given a fair chance to break into the starting XI of the big Premier League clubs.  

When the season finally gets started, concern over the inflated costs of British players will fall by the wayside as long as those players concerned deliver the goods on the field.

The most obvious advantage of signing domestically developed players is that their transition into a new squad will likely go smoother than foreign players. For Liverpool especially, this advantage will outweigh the cost issue, because the club has struggled for consistency in tricky away fixtures against the likes of Stoke, Blackpool, Portsmouth, etc.

In these games, the direct, physical approach of a British player such as Charlie Adam will likely be more valuable than the technical subtleties of cultured Continental players (not to say that there isn't a place for those types of players either).

Now for the first time in recent memory, Liverpool will be able to field an entirely British XI. The only position in which there isn't a British player in the senior squad is in goal, so I've dipped into the Academy for that position. Otherwise, it's not unlikely that this same starting XI might feature in a league match this season.

This team is set out in a 4-5-1 formation.

Goalkeeper Tyrell Belford

English

17 Years Old

Four England Youth Level Caps

Profile information from the official LFC website :

Belford came to the Academy in 2009 after Liverpool swooped to sign him from Coventry City.
The highly-regarded 'keeper has been a feature in England's U16 side over the past 12 months and is known for his shot-stopping ability and communication skills.

He will battle it out with Jamie Stephens for the No.1 jersey.

Right Back Martin Kelly

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

English

21 Years Old

28 Senior Liverpool Appearances

11 England Youth Level Caps

Kelly was Liverpool's standout young player last season. He displaced Glen Johnson from the right back position, and had it not been for injury, would have made his senior England debut.

Probably the most promising player to have come through the Liverpool youth setup since Stephen Warnock.

Centre Back Danny Wilson

Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

Scottish

19 Years Old

Three Senior Scotland Caps

A product of the Rangers Academy, he has inevitably drawn comparisons to Liverpool and Scotland legend Alan Hansen. Considering the dearth of ball-playing centre halves at Liverpool (and in the Premiership in general), Wilson will hopefully live up to his billing and become a regular first team player in the near future.

Signed from Rangers for $2 million pounds, he was named both the Scottish PFA and Football Writers Young Player in 2010.

Centre Back Jamie Carragher

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

English

33 Years Old

668 Liverpool Appearances

38 England Caps

A living Liverpool legend who obviously needs no introduction. Although he is getting on in years and a few grey hairs can be noticed in his television interviews, he is aging well.

Since he was a player who never had much pace to begin with he should be capable of contributing to the first team for another three years at least.

Left Back Jack Robinson

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

English

17 Years Old

11 England Youth Level Caps

Jack Robinson holds the record as the youngest Liverpool player to ever appear for the first team (16 years 250 days). Caught everyone's attention with his display against Arsenal last season when he came on to replace the injured Fabio Aurelio.

He outplayed and dominated Theo Walcott in that game and is definitely a fantastic prospect for the future.

Right Wing Glen Johnson

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

English

26 Years Old

34 England Caps

Although considered a full back, Johnson's brilliant abilities at attacking and awful positional defensive sense suggest that his future would best be spent as a winger.

And since Liverpool have showed no interest in signing an out-and-out right winger, this is not an unlikely prospect for Johnson.

Central Midfield Jordan Henderson

Ian Walton/Getty Images

English

21 Years Old

71 Premier League Appearances

One England Cap

 

Paying a $16 million-pound price tag on a relatively unknown youngster from Sunderland was bound to be controversial.

But if Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli have gotten this one right and Henderson turns out to be a suitable long-term replacement for Steven Gerrard, then his transfer fee will become irrelevant.

One very promising fact about Henderson is that he created 82 goal-scoring chances last season—the fourth highest in the league.

Central Midfield Charlie Adam

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Scottish

25 Years Old

11 Scotland Caps

63 Career Goals

Charlie Adam has had something of an up-and-down career. A disapointment at Rangers, he turned out to be one of the shrewdest signings ever made by an English club when Blackpool picked him up for just half a million pounds and sold him to Liverpool for $7 million just two years later.

Liverpool have been lacking a goal threat from the centre of the park recently—a problem which will hopefully be solved by Adam who scored 12 in the league last season.

Central Midfield Steven Gerrard

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

English

31 Years Old

557 Liverpool Appearances

89 England Caps

140 Goals (club level)

 

Still the greatest midfielder in the world (who doesn't wear a Barcelona jersey anyway).

The media's recent gushing over Paul Scholes was truly nauseating, especially when they called him the best English midfielder of his generation. It's beyond arguing that Steven Gerrard is the best English player since Alan Shearer and probably the best English midfielder of all time.

Left Wing Stewart Downing

Clive Mason/Getty Images

English

26 Years Old

27 England Caps

215 Premier League Appearances

Premiership captains don't come cheap.  So there really isn't much of a surprise that Downing cost LFC $20 million.

Considering that Liverpool have not had a decent winger in the squad since Steve McManaman, the cost of bringing in Downing is all the easier to accept.

Stuart Downing will be expected to make an immediate impact on the team. The quality of his crosses made him an obvious target for Dalglish to sign, since this will help get the most out of Liverpool's record-signing Andy Carroll.

Centre Forward Andy Carroll

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

English

22 Years Old

36 Career Goals

There's been more than enough discussion about Andy Carroll's price tag without me adding on. All I'll say about being the most expensive British player is that if he does indeed turn out to be a latter day John Toshack, the price won't matter one bit.

Gianluigi Buffon said of Carroll "He will be an asset because he can find the smaller players around him in different ways and has already shown he has great awareness."

If the world's greatest goalkeeper, Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli think highly of him, that's enough for me.

Last year, we didn't see as much of him as would have been desired thanks to a thigh injury that took ages to heal. But when he did regain fitness, he was great, especially against Manchester City.

His performances towards the end of the season combined with what he did at Newcastle suggest he will be a source of grief for defenders around the league.

I know he'll be in fantasy football team, as I expect he will be in the running for leading scorer next season.

(Substitute) Central Midfield Jay Spearing

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

English

22 Years Old

26 Liverpool Appearances

 

Quote from the LFC website :

What the Wirral-born youngster lacks in height, he makes up in hunger and energy. These attributes prompted the Kop to sing his name for the first time during an electric cameo as the mighty Real Madrid were dispatched 4-0 in March 2009.

Going into the 2011-12 season, Spearing is currently the only defensive midfield cover for Lucas, which should mean he will have plenty of chances to build on his impressive displays from last season.