Progress, incredible moments and endgame: Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s 2023-24 review

From his first line-up of the season, where Jayden Danns and Lewis Koumas both scored in a 4-2 win over Nottingham Forest, to those players who experienced moments that will never be forgotten at Anfield, surely progress has been made.

While results towards the end of the campaign were up and down due to the regulars playing for the U21s and the senior team, it also meant the youngsters in the U16s stepped up to experience football at a higher level.

Ahead of the U18 Premier League North final away to Derby on Saturday – a game you can watch live LFCTV and LFCTV GO at 12.30pm BST – read on as Bridge-Wilkinson reflects with Liverpoolfc.com on a very encouraging term for the Academy…

In Saturday’s season finale…

The season seems to have come very quickly. We’re looking forward to the game and hopefully we can show some of the really good sides that we’ve had in our game over the last few weeks and put together a really good performance.

In last weekend’s friendly in Southampton…

It was a good game and a tough game. Southampton were very strong that day and we had a young side but it was a great experience and exactly the kind of challenge we want. The boys did really well at certain times of the game and showed a bit of immaturity in other parts too so it’s all part of the learning process and hopefully we can use it to get better and stronger as we go we advance

On his reflections on the 2023-24 campaign from an U18 perspective…

I think it was a positive one. We’ve obviously seen some of the experiences the boys have had in and around the first team, which is a real highlight – that amazing day at Wembley. Some of the lads have now become regulars with the U21s which is fantastic and that’s our job. This quickly advanced their journey and allowed them to develop a bit faster than they normally can. But in saying that, it’s given other youngsters the opportunity to come and play with us, probably more than they would have done previously, so it’s been a positive season from that point of view.

Kieran Morrison has scored 13 goals so far and also played for the U21s last weekend…

Kieran did well. He has certainly scored and created some wonderful goals throughout the season, but he still has a long way to go and he knows it. He still needs to learn how to put on a performance over the course of 90 minutes and I’m sure he will continue to do that and improve. He’s had a really positive performance this season and now we’re just looking to try and help him improve further.

On the progress of 17-year-old Kareem Ahmed, who is finishing the season strong after an injury-plagued campaign…

Kareem struggled a bit early in the season with a few injuries which meant he missed quite a bit of time. Then it took quite some time before he got back into the team and caught up with the rest of the group. Now he has done that and is starting to look like the player we know.

About the results are mixed and do not have a stable side at the U18 level due to various factors…

Development is what we look at, and development comes in different forms. We want to win every game we play – there’s no two ways about it and I’m just like a former player. That’s in us and it’s something we’re always desperate to achieve, but there’s also the development side of the game and that’s where we need to try to be more successful. We have to work with these boys and help them improve so that they have an opportunity with the U21s and then with the first team or on loan in the first teams of different clubs.

Win, lose or draw on a Saturday, we need to give these boys the best opportunity to have a career in the game. Yes, we want to win and the players want to win and we will always keep trying to make that happen because we want them to have that winning mentality. Finally, you must strive to continue to improve performance both individually and collectively.

At the challenge presented by his former team Derby…

We are looking forward to it and it will be a tough game. I think they had what would be considered a decent season this year. It’s the end of the season so I’d imagine their first team and U21s would be done. It could be a very strong team and a tough challenge for us to face. It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be hard, but we’re going to go there and give it our all.