The Academy's latest addition Jason Banton tells us about his first meeting with Kenny Dalglish, who he follows on Twitter and why it's a dream come true to sign for Liverpool.
The 18-year-old arrived in Kirkby on trial after spells with the youth teams at both Arsenal and Blackburn Rovers.
He made his debut for the Reds' reserves during the 1-0 Lancashire Senior Cup success last week and in his first interview with Liverpoolfc.tv explains why he is eager to prove his worth and earn a contract beyond the end of this season.
Hello Jason. What does it feel like to have signed for Liverpool FC?
I was delighted when I first heard they were interested in me, so to actually put pen to paper was a dream come true really.
How did the move come about?
Well I started out at Arsenal and then moved to Blackburn. I had a tremendous time with Rovers but things didn't quite work out so we agreed to terminate my contract. I was available on a free so Frank McParland brought me on trial in November. I started training with the U18s and then pushed into the reserves. I did okay and now they have signed me until the end of the season. My target in that time is to work hard and look to impress.
You made your debut when you featured as a late substitute in the Reserves' Lancashire Senior Cup at Manchester City. How did that feel?
It was a great experience. There was a decent crowd there and City have some good young players so it was a good test. I enjoyed it. When you are a striker on the bench you are usually called upon to help rescue a game. We were winning 1-0 so it was nice to go out there and help protect that lead.
Joe Cole played 45 minutes that night. What was he like with the young lads in the dressing room?
We were all buzzing when we found out he'd be there. To be fair, he was first class. He was really professional and kept encouraging everyone. When I was watching him from the bench I was saying to the others, 'this guy has played in World Cups and he's here for us to learn off.' But it wasn't just him. Danny Wilson and Dani Pacheco were involved too and they helped us out. It was an all round good experience for us.
For fans who don't know much about you - what type of player are you?
I play wide left but I can occupy the No.9 shirt. I'm right-footed but I like to play on the left and cut in. I was top scorer in Blackburn's youth team last year. I'm happy going on the outside or cutting inside. I like to keep the defender guessing.
You've also played up front in some practice matches. Do you see yourself eventually progressing into that striker's role?
It's possible I may make the switch from the left to the centre. I know Rodolfo (Borrell) and John (McMahon) see me doing that. I actually played in a friendly against Shrewsbury last Tuesday and started down the middle but drifted out to the left. I was involved in a couple of the goals and managed to score one too. Kenny Dalglish was watching in the dugout so it was nice to do that in front of him.
You must have met Kenny already. He was based at the Academy prior to taking over the first-team's hot-seat...
Yes, we had a big chat when I first arrived here on trial. He got involved in training sessions and is just really approachable. He took Conor Coady and Suso up to Melwood for the week and it just proves that the rewards are there if you show the right attitude and work hard.
Have you spoken to either of those two about their week at Melwood?
Yes, I get on really well with Conor. He's absolutely buzzing. He can't quite believe it. I'm made up for him though because he is a great guy and a superb footballer.
You've been training and playing with the reserves but are still eligible for the Youth Cup. Is that something that interests you?
Yes, definitely. I was meant to be involved in the last game against Crystal Palace but my clearance didn't go through in time. Now it has, so I'm looking forward to it. The next round is at Anfield and I can't wait. I've played at the Emirates and Ewood Park but Anfield is special. I can't wait to hear that crowd.
You started out at Arsenal - did you play with the likes of Jack Wilshere?
Yes I played alongside him. I also played with Sanchez Watt, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and a lot of good footballers. You could tell Jack was going to be a player though. Even at a young age you could see he was something special.
Why did you leave Arsenal?
I was there from the age of seven and they eventually offered me a contract. But it wasn't for me and I decided to move on. I couldn't realistically see myself breaking into the Arsenal first-team at that point and felt I needed more experience elsewhere. I moved to Blackburn and Paul Ince was the manager at the time. A lot of young players were being pushed towards the first-team so I thought it would be a good challenge for me.
You've had time to train with your new teammates. What are your first impressions?
There are a lot of very good footballers here. We've got some players who are great both on and off the pitch. I think we've got some top coaches too. Everyone knows about Rodolfo's background with Barcelona. He's very good with the technical side of things. John is also very talented and it can only be good for us to work with these types of people.
We can't let you go without asking you about Twitter and your account @JasonBanton - what is its appeal to a footballer?
I've got a few mates on Twitter and that's why I signed up to it. It's good for interacting with fans and I've been really made up by the Liverpool supporters who have added me. They've all wished me the best of luck. Obviously you can't let them know too much but it's nice to update them about training and who did well etc. Someone asked me if I could get them a trial the other day while another person wanted a date with Steven Gerrard!
So have you had any Twitter chats with the likes of @LucasLeiva87, @glen_johnson or @J_Shelvey?
No, not really. I've heard they are on it but so far we've not really spoken or should I say 'Tweeted'. I don't see any of the reserve team lads getting into it to be honest. I know Jonjo is on there and maybe we will have a bit of banter. We were at Arsenal together at one point so I know him really well.
