Frank McParland has revealed why Roy Hodgson made the shock move to include Raheem Sterling in his squad for the recent pre-season clash with Borussia Moenchengladbach.
The talented teenager enjoyed a 10 minute cameo in the 1-0 defeat in Germany offering supporters who don't make the regular trip to the club's youth base in Kirkby a chance to check out one of our emerging talents.
But how did the fledgling winger come to be on the plane to Moenchengladbach? We caught up with the Academy director earlier this week, to find out.
"I met up with the boss when we went to Germany. I spent two days with him and we had a good chat about the young players we have," explained McParland.
"We think we have some players with potential and he was really interested to hear about them. It was a really positive conversation.
"He asked about Raheem (Sterling) and after we had spoken, he decided to put him in the squad for the game with Borussia.
"The boy is only 15 so it was great that he could play 10 minutes or so. Everyone at the Academy was delighted about that. He is probably the youngest ever player to get near the first team and it was good that the manager showed his trust in our judgment.
"He's still getting to know everything about the club and we are looking forward to working with him more and more in the weeks ahead."
Last summer the club's youth base underwent a revamp that saw an influx of exciting new talent arrive in Kirby.
McParland admits the departure of Rafael Benitez could well lead to a change in some aspects of the Academy's day-to-day running but is relishing the chance to discuss the future with the former Fulham supremo.
"The boss is very busy at the moment and we haven't discussed exactly what his plans may be for us here at the Academy," said McParland.
"Once the transfer window closes and he is firmly settled into the job, I'm certain he'll have a say in what is happening here and we will welcome that.
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