Liverpool FC Appoint Ex-Barcelona Coach As Reserves Manager

Liverpool have announced that Rodolfo Borrell has taken charge of the club's reserve team.

Borrell guided the Reds' under-18 side to a second-place finish in the Premier Academy League this season, with John Flanagan and Jack Robinson both graduating to the first team ranks during the final third, and will move up with many of the players to the second string.

The move comes as part of a reshuffling of personnel at Liverpool's centre of excellence in Kirkby and has put paid to plans by Barcelona to lure back Borrell as he was credited with developing several talents such as Lionel Messi during his time at the La Masia academy.

As revealed by Click Liverpool last month, the Champions League finalists were hopeful of securing the Spaniard's return had he been unsuccessful in graduating to the role.

Borrell succeeds fellow Barca cohort Pep Segura, who had taken the reins temporarily following the departure of John McMahon in March, whilst former Liverpool midfielder Mike Marsh will coach the under-18s side after a successful spell with the under-16s.

Technical director Segura and Academy director Frank McParland will now oversee matters at both youth and reserve team level.

Damien Comolli, Liverpool's director of football, believes that the moves reflect the continued growth of the club's home-grown players since the Academy's overhaul in summer 2009.

He said: "Real progress has been made this season and this has been reflected in the recognition given to our young Academy players - both at senior level within the club and also on the international football stage.

"But we have put a considerable amount of time and effort into thinking about what we need going forward and these changes reflect our desire to constantly improve the way we work.

"Stability is a key part of this process and the quality of the people already working at the Academy has been reflected in the number of internal promotions we have made.

"We've considered both the technical development of the boys at Kirkby and the way our scouting of youngsters in the first place fits into the club's overall recruitment policy."