Let's not kid ourselves none of the top English League Clubs are remotely interested in the Youth teams. They are for the most part obsolete, as when necessary the clubs just simply buy foreign players, which Liverpool have been doing for years.
Which leads us to the question, why are foreign young footballers better coached in all round skills than British ones; The answer most of the foreign youth coaches were never top footballers which always seems a necessary requirement In England; but they have a football brain for the feel of coaching; which is lacking at all levels in English football;
Now some of you are going to say well look at Man utd and Chelsea's record. This is just the result of buying foreign players and nothing else. If they played with just home grown players their results would be ordinary at Champion League level. I am in favour of restricting foreign players to just 2 per team, which would stop the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea,Arsenal and Liverpool.

John. Gilmore, Chantilly 60500, France

Steve Highway is spot on. How can a club let a man like this go! Nineteen years in the job, not forgetting the years as one of the greats at Anfield. What other clubs would pay to have a man like this on their staff. Just look at the players he has brought through from the talent pool that surrounds Liverpool. Don't tell me the players are not there. Yes Liverpool may go on to win more honours with their new owners, a Spanish manager and ever increasing numbers of foreign players. But who, really wants to see a successful Liverpool side with no local players in its ranks. That day is sadly not too far away.
Thanks for all your years of loyal service Steve. It truely is another sad day for English football.

Neil Reynolds, Swindon, England

The reason why there are fewer players coming out of the academies in the top clubs in England and into the first team is because the managers of Liverpool, Man.United, Arsenal and Chelsea are under pressure to achieve success immediately, in view of the massive financial incentives. There is more than enhanced prestige for a club that wins the Premiership and the European Cup/Champions League. The money to be made from winning them is astronomical. It takes too long to build a team from the ranks, which was the trend 20-30 years ago and therefore, managers buy in foreign players to build a team that can achieve success quickly. Chelsea are teh most extreme but still the most obvious example of this. Football clubs are not just a form of identity of the town or city they come from anymore. They are multi-million pound businesses, and success is as much defined by how wealthy they are as it is by trophies won.

Mark Stapleton, Dublin, Ireland

I am very sorry you feel that way Stevie, but I think you are off the mark.

Rafa is trying to do something similar to what Arsenal have - create an effective system for grooming youngsters of the HIGHEST quality from all over the world to play for LFC (such as Fabregas et al). As the Academy hasn't produced consistent performers for the 1st team in a few years & as the youth systems of ManUre & ArseNal are comparatively productive, doing so will enable us to compete in terms of quality of players we bring through the ranks; Ok this means we have to get foreign youngsters - would you though say no to the new Viera at Anfield?

It is a shame you have had to raise this, particularly seen as it is just weeks before a major cup final. The manager of LFC needs the entire club, including fans - one of which is hopefully you, to be BEHIND him.

I am hugely disappointed that you have had to say this - couldn't you have done this internally (and therefore discreetly) at the club?

RAPR, Exeter, Devon

The whole point here is very simple: foreign managers are undermining English football. It was very evident with Hullier at Liverpool, but still there're traces of this illness at Arsenal and Liverpool at the moment, where managers have clearly big problems dealing with homegrown players. Benites is at least making an effort, Wenger doesn't and the result of his blind policy is there, together with average results.
Forget the champions league, which is the shadow of the competition that once was; lille is comparable to Watford... and got to the second round!
If you're nor competitive in the Premier there must be a serious concern, and in Liverpool and Arsenal cases that concern is about foreign players who are just not good enough.
If I was an Arsenal fan I'd love to see Pennant and Bentley on the wings, and maybe Upson (instead of the likes of Cygan?) in defence!
These guys should definitely be limited to the mere coaching duties!

Vin, Manchester, UK

rafa benitez used to be youth coach at real madrid and
steve heighway has done a great job at the club. i think steve heighway should have stayed and got more youth players through and said to rafa that a player is good enough for the first team.it would have worked out in the end. i would like say thanks to steve heighway for producing gerrard, carragher,owen and others.liverpool fans like me appreciate that.



I dont want see an arsenal situation where the club cant bring their youth players through as they have brought good first team players as that way they will miss out on natural talent that has been produced such as gerrard, owen and carragher from the youth team.

i have seen rafa bring through steve warnock who has gone to blackburn and there is a young right back who might take over from finnan. as rafa stays to the same thing ie mixes youth players that have come through with foreign and other bought in players that he has now i dont really see what can go wrong

salman, london,

Generally, Liverpool players leaving the club and playing for other teams have never really repeated the success they had at Liverpool apart from Keegan. So Rafa has probably analysed that the passionate pride Liverpudlian players have wearing the shirt of LFC whilst undeniably making them winners also utimately hides their technical shortcomings. As highlighted when they play for other clubs or in internationals (Gerrard not included, pure class). My final point is about the the old "England international team will become extinct" nonsense. Football is a minority talent business, meaning that in any country only a few ever rise to the top. The England 'golden generation' 2006 world cup squad underperformed in spite of each of them earning millions of £'s per year, playing top european football all season long and having access to facilities the lads of '66 never had. Foreigners see through the British is best smokescreen and simply see lack of technique. Good lad Rafa.

marello, coventry, UK

I believe that this has all been poorly timed and it now looks like Steve is criticising the manager who has just taken us to another European Final and put is back on the European map again. His criticism is by no way levelled at the job rafa has done with the first team because how could he do that? He quite clearlly sates that they have a different veiwpoint on the develpment of young players and that beacause of this he wants to move on. The fact is that It is now so difficult to get a home grown player through the system at a club like Liverpool because quite obviously there is so much at stake in every competition now that a manager will always turn to an experienced international squad player rather than an untried youngster.
Historically if you won the Youth Cup you were alsmost certainly guaranteed a First team player but the standards are so high and the first team are winning trophies that they dont get a chance. The back bone of all the top four clubs are local players !

Paul, Southport,

I have first hand experience of Academy football albeit not at Liverpool and I can tell you it is a disgrace the way both young players and their parents are treated. The whole Academy system should be investigated by an independent body. The F.A. as usual have no idea of what is going on under their own noses and future England teams will be the ultimate losers.

JN, Wirral,

It's not about the individual it's about the team. We want a team of Carra's and Stevie G's coming through and it it simply aint happening. If you don't have the same ethics as runs through the club you have to go.

Chelsea may be looking for a new 'Special One' soon, ask for an application.

Richard , South Liverpool (by 300 miles), Jerseyside

Its a disgrace to see Steve Heighway go this way.
I thought Liverpool saw themselves as a family club.

Paddy, Limerick, Ireland

The English youth system is in desperate need of a shake up. The top Spanish and Italian leagues are mostly made up of players from their respective countries. The same can not be said of the English leagues, particularly the Premiership.

Rafa, Liverpool,

This is not an 'either/or' situation and shows the extent of politics in football clubs.

I watched the Anfield leg of the FA Youth Cup Final (Liverpool V Man U) and while it was a delight to watch, with real integrity and amazing pace, a credit to those players involved. I couldn't help thinking that it represented a type of play that is reflective of British football although a huge question mark remains about how 'intelligent' enough this style is for Europe and for international competition.

Stevie is going to be hard to replace and I do think there is a bit of truth in what Stevie and Rafa see - but there is only one manager!

Alan Southern, Liverpool - where else?,

Good bye Steve. You'll be remebered as a Liverpool stalwart and great player. The Academy has stagnated. Even though we won the Youth cup. IT really means very little if those players don't make the first team.

Lloyd, London,

Haha, and "edwardingle, chesham, bucks", 50% of the english talent you listed weren't english either! Something about the Times readership, is there?

Ronan, Ireland,

Does "Phil, Gateshead, England" even realise that Heighway isn't English either? Doubtful.

Ronan, Ireland,

Steve is a legend within Liverpool Football Club and will always be BUT the times they are a changing. Liverpool are moving forward and the progress is down to Rafa and his methods. The backroom policy worked -past tense - but hasn't provided success in quite some time. The likes of Gerrard, Carragher and Owen have came through but nothing else and they have only tasted success in recnt years.
Rafa's methods work - lookat his legacy at Valencia- and he has along term plan for the club. Heknows what he wants and he will take control if he feels he has to to accomplish this end.
It seems like bitterness and a poorly judged parting shot from some one who can see the changes but can't keep up. Sorry Steve but Rafa's the man for the future. You should have stepped down with dignity and pride in your achievments at this great club.Instead your have removed yourself from the club and it's followers. That's the greatest shameof all.

jason duffy, belfast, ireland

Stevie you are wrong to mouth off now,why not go with dignity and let Benitez and his coaching staff move the youngsters on at a different level? Benitez is one of the worlds best exponents of understanding a young footballer,ask any who came through at Real Madrid.Leave with your head held high and not with bitterness because you did not get your own way in a TEAM sport.

di slater, llangollen, wales

Our teams are owned by foreigners, managed by foreigners and have more foreign players than ever before.

We must develop more home grown talent or our national team will fade even further into obscurity.

As a Liverpool fan for more than 40 years, I remember the likes of Steve Heighway, Ian Rush, Phil Neal, Ray Clemence et al. That was our heyday; sadly, never to be repeated if we don't stop the influx of overpaid foreigners with agents selling them to the highest bidders.

edwardingle, chesham, bucks

It's a pity you people don't understand the fact that English football is going down the drain, and your club and your manager are one of the main culprits for this.
Maybe your academy isn't good enough, but you'd rather have a Spaniard in charge of the homegrown talent at your club?
I'm sure you'll be happier when you're playing in the Eurosuperleague.com

Phil, Gateshead, England

Sorry Steve and many thanks for your service and it is clearly obvious that you love Liverpool like we all do and maybe even more so after playing and coaching at the club. I look at some of the youth of the last few years that have been given a chance to have a go and have seen a lack of technique and skill. Some have been very ordinary.
Rafa is right and though Steve will find it hard to leave, he must now sit back and support hte club

Nck, london, england

Look at the bigger picture - England will never qualify for a tournement again !!!!!!!!!

Peter.

peter wilson, Leeds,

I'm with Rafa on this one, our youth academy has been around for years however you can only count in one hand the home grown players that have been good enough to walk into the first team. Players such as owen, fowler, mcmanaman, gerrard and carragher have all come through at varied times. You then look at man utd who produce in droves. This isn't good enough for a big club like liverpool and its indicative that a change is needed to bring the best out of the massive youth team investment.

Oge Diala, London,

Given the derth of young footballers making the grade (granted there are a few notable exceptions) maybe Rafa should be given the benefit of the doubt. He has after all seemed to make a commitment for the future.

eddie robinson, davis, cal, usa

Heighway has done his best but it hasn't been good enough. The Melwood Academy has stagnated since the days of Gerrard and Owen coming through.

I can't blame Rafa. The academy has underachieved. I have faith in Rafa and Paco putting things right.

Sarge, Santa Barbara, CA

The youngsters will never be given a chance under Rafa as he has made it abundantly clear he prefers foreign players.Good on Stevie for doing a great job and preserving his integrity.

Des James, Toxteth,

I dont agree with Steve Heighway on this one. I respect Steve but he's wrong by saying the reserve team are a waste of time. It is the door-way to the first team and many young players are dreaming of getting that chance to impress first team coaches. Why is he sticking them to the academy where they will only be undiscovered for the rest of their lives? Absolutely wrong, Steve. No matter how good Steve is as a coach of the academy, his mentality is wrong.

Die Hard Liverpool Fan, Liverpool, England

If Steve Highway is right - how come Liverpool have not had a youngster come through the Academy in years?

Nick, Liverpool,

For whatever things you did when you were at LFC, you should redeem yourself by not slating anyone you worked with. The likes of Houllier and Phil, they left with great dignity although what they left behind wasn't that promising. At least they kept their mouth shut and not open cans of worms if any. Just bucket it and get on with your life, no need to tell everyone you are the best youth coach in the club unless you are at Chelsea.

Fire, M'sia,

Rafel Beitez is right, because Liverpool have not produced a top class youngster since 1997 eg Micheal Owen and Steven Gerrard, and for a club like Liverpool not to produce a top class young player in the last 10 years is a bad joke, and there is only one person to blame for this and that is Steve Heighway and his so called expert scouting network, mabey they being Liverpool should ask Everton how they do it, because if you ask me they do not seem to have much trouble producing talent eg Dunne, Jeffers, Ball, Rooney, Vaughan and the soon to be future England international players in Jose Baxter and Jack Rodwell, P.S thankyou Steve Heighway for all you have done for this club, but i am afraid that it is time for a new start for Liverpool

Paul Harding, Dunstable , Beds

This raises the issue that the Special One has talked about before -- why not use the lower divisions for 2nd team football between the top clubs? That's how the Spanish do it. Rafa wants them in competitive football and Steve wants them in the top flight. One compromise while protecting their talent is to have B teams in the Championship.

Frank Galton, Enfield, UK

I'm sorry to say Stevie, your existence in the club is to support the overall objectives of the 1st team. You control the youth team because it is inline with the 1st team coach. You cannot override the 1st team coach. You job is to advice and give suggestion to the 1st team coach.

Ultimately he controls the youth team. The 1st team manager can bypass anyone within the youth team, he can chose who he wants. But if he trust your abilities, he will seek your advise, if not he bypass you.

After Owen, Gerrard and Carra, there's nobody else who made the mark. Warnock, Ostemxxxx and Mellor never really made it. I'm sorry but 3 in the last 10 years is not good enough.

King Kong, PJ,

Stevie: You have been a great player and a great ambassador for the club but you are wrong. There can only be one "vision" in a club and Rafa's is more far seeing than yours. You obviously have a different view than Rafa so it is time to move on. Just find it incredulous you pick this time to air your "dirty laundry." It's not about you mate, it is always about the Club!

Bob, Philadelphia, USA/Pa

Sorry Stevie, both Houllier and Rafa have been worried that not enough quality youngsters are being produced by the Academy. Many are simply not up to the standard set by the first team squad. Youth football is one thing, but we need kids good enough to join the first team.

Ian , West Derby Liverpool,