News'It doesn't get much better than watching your son achieve his dreams'
The fathers of Bobby Clark and Jayden Danns can attest how watching your son fulfil his dreams brings an unmatched feeling of pride.
Clark and Danns are among a number of Academy products to have made the most of their opportunities within Liverpool's senior team in recent weeks.
No occasion has been too big so far for the young duo, who both appeared off the bench to play their part in the Carabao Cup final triumph over Chelsea with nearly 90,000 spectators inside Wembley.
Danns followed that up with a pair of goals in front of the Kop against Southampton in the Emirates FA Cup, while Clark earned his first Premier League start last weekend at Nottingham Forest.
Their dads – Lee Clark and Neil Danns – enjoyed lengthy careers in the professional game, and are now offering that wisdom and experience to their sons.
Speaking on the latest episode of LFCTV's Extra Time, Neil – who represented Crystal Palace, Birmingham City, Leicester City and others – said: "It's been surreal, if I'm being honest. I'm not the footballer in the house anymore and it's totally Jayden!
"But as Lee will know, there's nothing more we want than to see our kids go and fulfil their dreams.
"So just standing there last Wednesday and when he was coming on, I thought that it doesn't get much better than this. Because you know how much they've sacrificed, you've seen the extra work they put in.
"Then to go and see them achieve their dreams and to walk out onto Anfield was a special moment. I admit it, I did drop a few tears."
Lee made 185 Premier League appearances with Newcastle United and Fulham, and then gathered managerial experience in his post-playing days.
He reflected: "The last few weeks have just been unbelievable, amazing. The trust that the manager has in these young boys and the trust they show back because he knows he's got their total support...
"Seventy minutes on the clock, Bobby gets the call to come on to the pitch in a cup final, and then 80-odd minutes and the other boys get their chance, knowing that probably the game's going to go into extra-time. It's just a phenomenal bond of trust that the manager has with these young boys.
"He [Bobby] gave us an opportunity to have a photo with his medal, which is the closest I've been to a major tournament winner's medal! That was nice of him.
"[I just told] him how proud we are and that this is the start of it, but it gets harder, you've got to keep producing – especially when you're at a football club like Liverpool, where the demands and expectations are huge."
This article has been automatically translated and, while all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, some errors in translation are possible. Please refer to the original English-language version of the article for the official version.