Rodolfo Borrell is hoping his young squad can rise to the occasion this season when the NextGen Series gets underway with a tough trip away to Inter Milan on Wednesday.
Last season Borrell's charges came third in the competition, and this term they also face Rosenborg of Norway and German giants Borussia Dortmund in their group.
Most of the regular members of the U21 squad will not be involved in the NextGen Series squad as it's an U19 tournament and the likes of Michael Ngoo and Jack Robinson are now ineligible for it.
Last season, Borrell's men lost in the semi-finals to Ajax but came third after beating Marseille in the play-off.
This campaign, the competition is even stronger with the likes of Barcelona, CSKA Moscow, Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG fielding strong teams.
However, Borrell insists the squad are under no illusions as to the test they will face from the reigning NextGen Series champions.
He told Liverpoolfc.com: "It is going to be difficult because we are in a very tough group and it's a tough first game for us against Inter Milan.
"They won the NextGen Series last season and they are a very tough and physical team so it's going to be a big test for us.
"Last season we managed to finish third out of 16 teams in the NextGen Series which was a magnificent achievement. In terms of results we had highs and lows because we faced top-level teams and had mixed results, but there were a lot of positives from our lads.
"This season will be tough because this is a competition for lads born in 1994. Last season we had a bigger and stronger squad but some of them now can't play.
"The squad will be mostly made up of the U18s team and it is a big opportunity for them to play at a higher level.
"It is a step-up for some of them but we can only get positives out of playing in this competition. It is a great experience for the players and they will learn quickly.
"We will be positive and try to get good performances and good results."
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