Liverpool academy chief's son gets deserved reward with first professional contract

Liverpool youngster Finn Inglethorpe has put pen to paper on a first professional contract with the club after impressing with the academy throughout the season.

Finn Inglethorpe has signed a first professional contract at Liverpool

Liverpool has announced a first professional contract for Finn Inglethorpe, with the academy star putting pen to paper with the Reds for the foreseeable future.

The 17-year-old was a first-year scholar at the start of the season, but has impressed with five goals and five assists for the under-18s. The young Liverpool forward has also featured for the under-19s in the UEFA Youth League, making two appearances against PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan.

Inglethorpe's contract is a reward for his good form, as he continues to show plenty of promise for the future. The striker has plenty of pace, and there is experience in his family of being a professional footballer that may help guide him towards a successful career.

Finn Inglethorpe is the son of Alex Inglethorpe, who is currently the academy director at Liverpool. The 54-year-old had his own playing career, featuring for Watford, Leyton Orient, and Exeter City, making 160 appearances throughout his career before retiring in 2003.

There were management roles at Leatherhead and Exeter that followed, before he was part of backroom teams at Tottenham and then Liverpool. Inglethorpe joined the Reds in 2012 as a reserve team coach, before he eventually made his move from under-21s coach to academy director in 2014.

In the 12 years in the role, Liverpool has brought through plenty of academy talent such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Raheem Sterling. He will certainly be hoping that his son is the next one to make an impact, having done so at an early stage for the academy teams.

Inglethorpe is the son of Liverpool's (Image: (Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))

Inglethorpe has been at Liverpool since pre-academy level and has worked his way through the ranks in impressive fashion. The 17-year-old has featured at youth level for England, and is one of several impressive stars looking to be the next one to break into the first team.

The under-21s feature several well-known names such as Amara Nallo and Jayden Danns, while a few others have already been named in senior squads. That includes Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha, with the latter of those impressing in the few minutes he has been handed.

There is hope under Arne Slot in particular, with the manager making it clear that he will use academy stars and help introduce them. He said last month: "I am always looking at the younger players, a few of them are closer and closer to first-team football.

"Rio [Ngumoha] and Trey [Nyoni] have had that and games like this could be an option but it is about the right balance. We play a strong team and who to play is something to think about. Of course it gives us more questions [that it is Brighton], if we had a different opponent then I maybe make other choices."

Rio Ngumoha has impressed for Liverpool this season(Image: (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images))

Ngumoha has been handed 483 minutes so far, with one goal to his name in the Premier League and plenty of promise for the future. Nyoni has made 220 minutes on the pitch for the senior team so far, and has equally shown plenty of quality, with some hope that the pair can drive forward with Liverpool.

The 17 and 18 year olds have shown there is a pathway there for Liverpool youngsters to make their way into the team to make an impact.