'Europe has been an exciting journey - we're ready to go again'
As Liverpool U19s prepare to take on Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb in the last 16 of the UEFA Youth League today, Barry Lewtas has highlighted the brilliant team spirit in the group.
The young Reds have played some outstanding football on their European adventure so far this term, finishing top of their group to qualify for the knockout stages, having racked up five goals against the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli.
With their first team domestic champions, Dinamo Zagreb followed a different route to the last 16 and beat Lokomotiv Moscow 5-4 on penalties in their play-off tie to earn the right to host Liverpool on home soil.
Ahead of the 2pm GMT kick-off, read Lewtas’ thoughts on the journey in the competition so far, team spirit and the challenge posed by the opposition…
On how he would describe the journey to the last 16 so far…
It has been exciting. We have had some tough and close games, last-minute winners and a few games where we have managed to score a lot of goals as well. It has been an exciting journey and it has been really enjoyable.
LFCTV GO: A brand new episode of the Academy Show
On Tuesday’s tie with Dinamo Zagreb…
We are really excited. It’s a competition we have done well in and we have done really well again to reach the last 16. We obviously won our group, which was a tough group. It’s a great experience for the boys to travel once again representing the football club. We don’t quite know what surface we will be playing on and normally in these games they usually get a good crowd in, so that represents a good test for the boys as well.
On the quality of the opposition…
They are national champions so they earned their right in this competition and they have earned their path in the last 16 just as commendably as we have. We know we are up against a really good team and we are ready to go.
LFCTV GO: A five-star showing against Napoli
On competition for places at U19 level…
We have got a really good squad to pick from. Whatever personnel we have out there we will demand and expect a performance and hopefully we will get one. Because it’s two groups that come together to make up the U19s squad there has certainly been a togetherness. For example, Curtis Jones trains up at Melwood at the moment, he plays for the U23s and the U19s. What we’ve got to remember is he went to school with most of our U18s players, Rafael Camacho as well played with these lads. They are a real close-knit group and it’s nice to see. They are only young lads so it’s nice.
Delayed coverage of the tie will be available to watch on LFCTV at 11pm GMT.