Liverpool academy chief Alex Inglethorpe is delighted with his new contract.
Inglethorpe has penned an undisclosed deal as he comes up to ten years at Liverpool this Christmas.
“I've trusted the club from the moment I walked in the door," he told liverpoofc.com.
“It's Liverpool Football Club. You have to be careful if you choose to leave. Like many people, I think this is probably the pinnacle. I'm a coach so my way of connecting and developing the talent here is to work with them, whether that's a nine-year-old or a 21-year-old, it's the same.
“My primary role is to be around the players and to help them. It's a privilege and an honour. Every day I feel very lucky to be getting out of bed and working with the staff that I am and working with the players that I've got.
“It really isn't much of a decision. Like most people, I spent the best part of 20 years trying to get here and when you're here you don't really want to leave. I think that's probably true for a lot of players too."
The Academy has been a welcome home under Inglethorpe for local ex-players, with Jay Spearing recently becoming the latest to take on a coaching role there.
He notes: “We've got some unbelievable first-team role models and I think you've got to earn the right to be in the same company as them. It's not an entitlement, it's built on hard work and consistency of performance and thinking.
“Therefore the staff we surround them with also have to share those values. I've been very lucky in terms of having some stalwarts like Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Rob Jones and now Michael Thomas. Steve Heighway as well – I've wanted to bring back a heartbeat to the club of people who understand and represent the values of the club.
“I'm a custodian, I'm not going to be here forever and it's important that I keep the Scouse heartbeat here – it's important that a large proportion of our coaches are from the local area.
“I think we understand the culture of what the first team want. We understand the manager's non-negotiables and requirements and we do our best to give him players, whether they're good enough is a part of it, but they've got to be able to go up there and he be able to hook into their personalities.
“And their personalities have to fit in the environment and culture he's created in the first team."