Feature30 years on: 'Time flies' for LFC's youngest player in Europe

He made his debut as a 56th-minute replacement for Steve Harkness in a European Cup Winners’ Cup first-round first leg with Cypriots Apollon Limassol.

Phil, who now coaches the U12s squad at Kirkby, was aged 17 years, seven months and two days when he came on during the 6-1 win, and he still holds the record. Raheem Sterling came closest in 2012 when he played against FC Gomel in a Europa League qualifier aged 17 years, seven months and 25 days.

“Thinking back now, it’s definitely a blur,” recalls Phil. “In those days the reserves would be training on one pitch at Melwood with the first team on another and every now and then you might get Ronnie [Moran] or Roy [Evans] shouting over, ‘Right, we need an extra player’ or whatever. I think it must have been the morning before the game that I got the shout.

“You just don’t really think too much about it at the time and you don’t really think about the bigger picture at that age. You just think it’s where you want to be.”

The game was significant as it saw another record established too as four-goal Ian Rush overtook Roger Hunt’s tally to become Liverpool’s leading goalscorer in Europe.

Phil adds: “Most of it is a blur now, 30 years on – time flies. I just remember it being live on TV so you’d be aware of your family watching the game and just hoping that you get a chance to come on.

“I remember the adrenaline flowing when I got called down by the manager [Graeme Souness] to go onto the pitch. Maybe it was flowing too much as I remember my second touch was a tackle!

“I think we were 5-0 up when I came on and after that I settled down a bit. At one point, I cut in from the right and had a chance, but unfortunately it just went over the bar. That was probably the one bit of play that sticks out.

“Afterwards you’re thinking that you’ve got a taste of it and you just want more. As a youngster it’s what you dream of. Supporting the club as a kid and then being around those players was surreal. It was quite tough to deal with, to be honest, and at the end of the day I wasn’t good enough for Liverpool and moved on.

“Of course it would be better if I could say I hold the record and played 50 or more games for Liverpool but it’s still a memory that I can share with my family for the rest of my life.”

Phil went on to have a good career in the Football League, playing more than 150 league games for Crewe Alexandra. He returned to LFC in a coaching capacity a decade ago following a conversation with Mike Marsh. “There are a few of us who were here as players that are now back coaching: Jon Newby, Mike Yates, myself and others. Steve Heighway and Dave Shannon are still coming in too and they were coaching me when I was 12 going into the Centre of Excellence!

“To have them around as well as the quality of staff that we’ve got under Alex Inglethorpe and what he brings to the club as an academy, you’ve got a lot of invaluable experience in the building.

“I just feel lucky to have done what I’ve done. Lucky to be at Liverpool as a kid, lucky to be here now and I always cherish it. As a Liverpool fan what more would you want?”