5 Liverpool Stars to Watch out for in the Next 12 Months

Liverpool's policy of signing young players with potential to blossom into stars on Merseyside has been in full force now for over two years.

Owners Fenway Sports Group and manager Brendan Rodgers share a philosophy and vision to sign talented youngsters and give them the environment to develop at Liverpool.

This was evidenced with their summer acquisitions, where only three of their nine signings were over the age of 24 (Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert). The rest were all young players with potential. One of them, Divock Origi, is yet to join the club.

Meanwhile, youngster Jordon Ibe has come back into the squad after being recalled early from loan at Derby County, and Jordan Rossiter and Jordan Williams have been awarded their professional debuts with the club.

Rodgers' commitment to giving youth a chance has been evidenced once again.

Indeed, the average age of Liverpool’s lineup at St Mary’s was 23.4 years, the youngest in this Premier League this season, according to Transfermarkt (h/t This is Anfield and Press Association).

We take a look at five stars to watch out for over the next 12 months at Anfield.

Jerome Sinclair

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Jerome Sinclair is Liverpool's youngest player ever, having been awarded his debut just six days after his 16th birthday back in the early months of Rodgers' reign at Anfield in 2012.

Now aged 18, he's impressed this season at the under-18 and under-21 levels, scoring an impressive 22 goals and being tipped by the Liverpool Echo to be the "next Academy graduate to join Brendan Rodgers‘ first team."

He is, according to the Daily Mail, set to join Wigan Athletic on loan until the end of the current season, where he'll join up with fellow Liverpool teenage attacker Sheyi Ojo. Ojo, 17, has impressed since joining the Latics in January.

With the future of many of Liverpool's current centre-forwards in doubt, Sinclair is one to expect to be given a chance this pre-season and could find himself breaking into the first team in a similar fashion to Ibe this season.

Harry Wilson

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Another impressive player at Liverpool under-21s this season has been Welsh winger Harry Wilson.

The 17-year-old hit the headlines when he became Wales' youngest player ever, aged just 16, in October 2013.

He's continued to develop and has moved up to the Reds' under-21s this season, impressing in the front three.

His quality was evidenced by a 93rd-minute winner against Everton in the mini derby last week, cutting inside onto his left foot to fire into the top corner from 20 yards.

Like Sinclair, Wilson will get his chance in pre-season and could make a case to be included in the early rounds of the League Cup next season to make his Liverpool debut.

Joao Carlos Teixeira

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Portuguese midfielder Joao Carlos Teixeira was handed his Liverpool debut as a substitute just over a year ago at Fulham.

Once earmarked as the "next Deco," he's spent the season on loan to Championship side Brighton and Hove Albion where he's impressed for the Seagulls. He has a decent return of six goals in 29 appearances from midfield.

Rodgers has, according to the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce, indicated that the 22-year-old will be given his chance as part of the club's squad when it heads to Australia in pre-season.

Lazar Markovic

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Lazar Markovic has had a somewhat up-and-down first season at Anfield.

The Serbian, who turned 21 last week, struggled at first. But ironically, the turning point for him seemed to be his harsh dismissal against Basel in the Champions League in December.

Shortly after that, he was selected in an unfamiliar wing-back role as the Reds changed formation. It's a position that has seen his performances improve, with the highlight being his first-half display against Sunderland in January, scoring the only goal of the game.

We've seen glimpses of why he is so highly rated and why Liverpool spent £20 million to sign him from Benfica last summer.

A second season in England will see him settle and grow as a player.

Alberto Moreno

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Like Markovic, Alberto Moreno has had ups and downs in his first season so far.

The 22-year-old left-back scored a stunner strike against Tottenham in August but was under the microscope for defensive errors against Manchester City and Newcastle United in his early months at the club.

However, he's one of a host of players who have benefited from the change in formation, looking far more comfortable as a left-sided wing-back.

He offers natural width and good balance on that side and has linked well with Mamadou Sakho and Philippe Coutinho in the Reds' strongest XI.

Again, like Markovic, he'll grow and develop after a full season to find his feet, and next season could be an exciting one for him.