Saturday 16 July 2016 17:15, UK
Liverpool playmaker Cameron Brannagan may be diminutive in stature but he has heart to match any player, says U21s coach Michael Beale.
Boss Jurgen Klopp gave Brannagan his full Liverpool debut three weeks into his reign, with the 20-year-old handed his first Premier League start in the 1-1 draw with West Brom on the final day of last season.
The 5ft 9in midfielder, who joined the club aged five, has played in both of the club's pre-season friendlies so far, a 1-0 win over Tranmere and last Wednesday's 5-0 victory at Fleetwood Town.
Brannagan will hope to be involved in Sunday's friendly against Wigan and Beale says his technically-gifted former captain is a shining example to the rest of the club's academy prospects.
"When I first came here Cameron Brannagan was really slight. He was playing for me in the U16s and he's worked hard and just really kept on going," Beale told Sky Sports.
"It's very important we keep his feet on the ground as is the case with all of our young boys but we're very pleased with him.
"He's not really a British-type player. He's very technical, he can play with both feet and he plays big for a small lad. The most important thing for smaller players is they play with a big heart and don't get overawed by bigger stronger players and he does that.
"We have a strong development pathway for all the players and we explain what we're trying to do with them, but I think promoting him and making him captain of my U21s a couple of years ago was also a big part of Cammy's development.
"It's been a long journey, and he'd tell you that himself, but it's just lovely to see him flourishing and part of the first-team setup."
Brannagan scored a sensational goal on the U21s end-of-season tour to America last month, cutting in from the left and firing into the top right corner against Sacramento Republic.
He has been used in a variety of positions by Klopp in his eight first-team appearances under the German to date and Beale admits Brannagan's versatility is a big asset.
"He can play as a deep-lying player as number six or as a box-to-box midfielder which I think he prefers because he can drop deeper when needed but can also get up and around the box," Beale said.
"The boys coming through the academy now have been used to playing in a three-man midfield for so long, and Cammy's someone who likes that freedom of playing in a three because he can float around a little bit.
"But if you ask him he's not really fussed what position he plays in. He's happy to play right or left which is lovely really for me as a coach and also good for Jurgen that the players coming to him are flexible and just want to be in the team."
As soon as I came to Liverpool it was just different. The people in the city demand young players coming through and they have a massive feeling for the young players that do come through.
Beale joined Liverpool's academy staff in 2012 after coaching for 10 years at Chelsea working his way up to youth development officer for the Blues.
But the lure of Liverpool was too much for the Bromley-born coach to resist and Beale says there is a different kind of enthusiasm for young players on Merseyside.
"I spent a lot of time at Chelsea where it was hard to get players through because managers were under immense pressure," he said.
"The staff did a lot of good work there but didn't always see the fruits of their hard work in terms of players getting into the first-team.
"But as soon as I came to Liverpool it was just different. The people in the city demand young players coming through and they have a massive feeling for the young players that do come through."
