As Portuguese side Sporting on Monday held a lecture called ‘Individual Training in the Elite Training Process’, Liverpool were represented.
Martin Diggle, who is the Reds’ director of coaching development, not only attended to hear what Lions president Frederico Varandas had to say, but also gave a speech to those at the event.
It’s no secret that Sporting’s academy is a reference to many European clubs, and the Liverpool chief claimed it’s no different for the Anfield side.
The quotes come from Portuguese newspaper Record.
“It was a privilege to be invited. Sporting is one of the most iconic clubs in youth football on the planet. I came on Sunday and I’m going home on Wednesday, because I didn’t just want to share my ideas,” said Diggle.
“I also wanted to learn about Sporting. There’s a passion for youth football and the development of the player and the human being – their mentality, their values and how they behave. We want to work and collaborate with those who have similar ideas to us. Not the same, but similar.”
Since Sporting can rarely keep their homegrown talents, they often end up moving for big fees. That’s the case of players such as Matheus Nunes, João Mário, Nuno Mendes and João Palhinha. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani have also been through the same process.
Getting those talents by just spending on their training is certainly a dream for any European club, and that’s what Liverpool seem to be trying to learn more about. With the Reds having a tradition of using homegrown players, any extra knowledge to aid their development can only be a positive.
