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Former Liverpool U21 captain Tom Clayton has returned to the club as a coach at the age of 24.
Clayton spent his entire youth career with Liverpool and was part of the FA Youth Cup-winning side of 2019. He never played for the senior side but was named on the bench for a Carabao Cup tie against Aston Villa in December 2019. He also won the Lancashire Senior Cup in 2022, captaining a side that included Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley in the final.
The defender, who also deputized in midfield, played under Steven Gerrard during his time in the academy, and left Liverpool three years ago, signing for Swindon Town. Clayton made 34 appearances during his first season in Wiltshire, but has since struggled with injuries.
The 24-year-old left Swindow in 2024 and has been without a club for the last year.
This summer, Clayton took up a role with Liverpool’s U16s and is assisting head coach Lewis Nightingale.
It’s unclear whether Clayton has retired as a player, but he is understood to still be undergoing rehabilitation on his injury. It’s also not known whether the position is permanent or a short stopgap.
Clayton was capped by youth Scotland at youth level and was described by Liverpool as a “popular and respected figure” when he left the club in 2022.
His arrival at Kirkby comes amid a summer of change at various levels of the academy.
U21 and U18 coaches Barry Lewtas and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson departed after five years in charge of the respective age groups.
They have been replaced by Rob Page and Simon Wiles, while Liverpool this week announced plans for a new £20 million ($28M) redevelopment project of the academy infrastructure, which will include a dome pitch at its Kirkby base.
A new grass pitch will also be built that will seat 500 supporters, in addition to revamped and improved medical and sports science functions.
The decision comes on the back of several successful years of youth development through Liverpool’s academy.
This summer alone, the Reds earned around $113M (£83M) from the sale of academy players, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Ben Gannon Doak, Caoimhin Kelleher, Tyler Morton, and Nat Phillips.
Bradley continues to play a significant role at senior level, while Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni have made impressive strides forward this summer.
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