The future of our defence
Liverpool are a club in limbo – with financial trouble and rivals knocking at their door. With money being tight, Roy Hodgson may have to call on several of our younger players to shore up his defence. Three of our hottest prospects are discussed below.
The goalkeeper
Already part of Hungary's international setup, young keeper Gulacsi Péter was crucial to their third-place finish in the U20 world cup, saving three penalties in a shoot-out versus Costa Rica in the playoff, earning his team bronze. With Cavalieri, looking ever more likely to leave Liverpool this summer, Gulacsi could find himself as Pepe Reina's understudy very soon.
2010 invisible bike riding champion, Pepe Reina
The centre-backs
During the August of 2009, Daniel Sánchez Ayala, now 19 years old, covered for an injured Martin Skrtel against Tottenham Hotspur in the opening game of Liverpool's campaign. Despite a 2-1 defeat, Ayala produced a solid performance that earned him much praise from Jamie Carragher. Ayala kept his place versus Stoke City three days later, as he earned his first start for the club. The Spaniard is one of several brought into the club under Benitez.
At 6ft 3in he is strong in the air and has all the physical attributes to succeed in England. With Carragher and Kyriakos approaching the twilight of their careers, Ayala is a cheap, solid option to have at the club. Now on loan with Real Valladolid, he would be sorely missed at Anfield and could well go on to become 'Liverpool's Pique'.
the longest neck on Merseyside 
Perhaps the player most capable to inherit the heart of Liverpool's defence is Martin Kelly. His rise through the ranks at Liverpool has been meteoric – leaving the academy for Melwood at 17, and playing a key role in the title-winning reserve side that year. Promoted to the first team in 2008, he debuted against PSV Eindhoven as a substitute that year. A regular with the England U20s, he played every game in their 2009 World Cup campaign. As Liverpool's new youth coach Rodolfo Borrell (who developed Messi and Pique whilst at Barcelona) states, the best players to defend the Liverpool shirt are Liverpool born players.
Despite us being all too aware of the grim reality - that not many youths make it at the top – many we all want to see young, local players like Kelly, with the grit and determination to be the next Kennedy or Carragher, succeed. Perhaps our desire to see the youth succeed hides their limitations, but Liverpool need players with desire right now, they need determination, and they need passion, and Kelly's very blood runs...err...red.
These three players could be the spine of Liverpool's defence in five years time, and they will need to perform if Hodgson decides to blood them further. Watch this space.
Submitted by Jack Balmer
19/7/2010
