Liam Coyle knows all about being a Liverpool Under-21 player but his full focus is on helping Accrington Stanley win an important game tonight.
The Reds need a victory to guarantee progress into the knock-out stages of the Papa Johns Trophy as they take on Liverpool Under-21s at the Wham Stadium.
Midfielder Coyle was at Anfield from nine-years-old, was captain of their Under-18s side but a stress facture of the back caused him to sit out most of the last few years before he signed for Stanley in 2021.
“I am a Liverpool fan, I love the club, I was there on Sunday against Man City,” said the 22-year-old.
“However, I am an Accrington player now, we need to win this game and I am focused on winning this game, it doesn’t matter who we are playing.
“I still know most of the staff and players at Liverpool and it will be nice to see familiar faces but, for me, it’s about doing my best for Accrington.
“I remember when I was injured at Liverpool thinking I would love to play in these games, there is an extra buzz playing against men.
“They are big games to play in as it’s a chance to impress. There were always league managers and scouts there for lads wanting to get out on loan.
“You can have an idea of how Liverpool will try and play but the main focus is on ourselves and try and take the game to them.”
He admitted the 3-0 loss to Derby County on Saturday – where the Reds couldn’t convert either of two penalties – was a tough one to take but they haven’t got time to dwell on it and that’s a good thing.
“After a defeat you want to get out there and play again and try and make things right and get that good feeling back again.
“We need to score some goals, hopefully keep a clean sheet and get us back on positive terms.
“We actually played alright on Saturday, it wasn’t a 3-0 game, they had chances on the break in the second half and sometimes that can be even more frustrating.
“But you have to stay positive and stick together as a team. You get a few wins and you are climbing the table again and we know we can do that.
“You just have to turn chances into goals, try and score first and that will get us going.
“It's all our DNA, we want to win every game we play, every game we are going out to get on the front foot, take the game to them, home or away, top of the league or bottom of the league, whoever we play we want to win.”
The full pre-match interview with Liam Coyle is available to watch on the club's official YouTube channel, CLICK HERE to find out more!