EX-RED LUSSEY KEEPS THE FAITH

JORDAN Lussey was desperate to make the grade at Liverpool. He captained the Under-18s when Steve Cooper was in charge and became a regular in the development squad, with Harry Wilson and Sheyi Ojo.

- Sean Cole

As a midfielder with an impressive passing range, there was one player the now 26-year old dreamed of emulating.

“Growing up as a Liverpool fan, the main person I looked up to was Steven Gerrard,” said Lussey. “He played in the same position, and he did so much for the club. I modelled my playing style around him.

“Towards the end of my Liverpool career, I regularly trained with the first team at Melwood. To be alongside Gerrard, and players of his calibre, was a massive learning curve.

“I watched him as much as I could. He was first out on the pitch and last to leave. I’d stay behind and join in the shooting competitions with him. It was just an amazing experience.”

Amazing

Although Lussey gave his best in training, he never made his debut for Liverpool. In February 2015, he travelled to a Europa League tie against Besiktas but that summer, he was released.

“Jurgen Klopp came in after I left,” he said. “It was quite hard to see him give all these players I’d played with opportunities, and the exposure that’s helped them go on to have good careers. There were a lot of ‘what-ifs’, but you’ve got to focus on yourself.”