Gerrard: Youngsters must be world class

Steven Gerrard says Liverpool’s Academy players need to be "world class every day" to break through and play Premier League football with the first team.

Gerrard came through the ranks at his hometown club to score 120 goals in 504 PL appearances.

In his new role as Liverpool Under-18s manager, the 37-year-old says the bar has been set higher for those wishing to succeed.

"It’s changed – 10/15 years ago, you could play for Liverpool’s first team if you were very good," Gerrard told liverpoolfc.com.

"You can’t do that any more because the players that are there are world-class, so to move someone out of the way and become a regular, you’ve got to be world-class."