AcademyU18s season preview: 'I'm really excited with the group we have got'
Liverpool U18s head coach Simon Wiles is eager to see his side showcase their potential as the competitive action for 2026-27 now gets under way.
The young Reds begin their U18 Premier League North campaign by travelling to Manchester City on Saturday for an 11am BST kick-off.
Wiles' team have played a number of friendlies against domestic and continental opposition in pre-season, with each offering different experiences.
Ahead of the season-opener, Wiles spoke to Liverpoolfc.com about his hopes for the forthcoming term – read on for the interview.
On pre-season…
I've been pleased with the work that we have done and really enjoyed the time we've been able to spend with the players. It was different for me this time because last season I only came in 10 days before the start of the season. The players have got fitter with the challenges we have given them. The win over Swansea City in our final pre-season game was probably the perfect game for us going into this new season. There were a lot of positives to take from our performance against Swansea but also still lots that we can get better at.
On the tests provided by opposition from the UK and overseas…
We have had a variety with our pre-season fixtures, which has been really good for the players. We have come up against different types of teams with different set-ups and that has been good coming up against teams as well that like to play but are physical as well.
On some players who were with the U18s last season getting an opportunity with the senior team on the USA tour…
That was great to see but this is what the job is, isn't it? Us as a group of staff, we all work tirelessly with the players day in, day out, and when they progress to that next step and opportunities come, we always speak to them about always being ready, because you never know when that opportunity comes along, and making sure they are in the best possible place they can be. To see that happen and to see that progression so far, it has been really exciting for them and also great for everybody at the Academy.
On how the new first-year scholars have settled in…
They have settled in really well. I've been pleased with firstly how they have conducted themselves into their job and some of the performances from them have been really good. I'm really excited with the group we have got, so let's see where we can get them to.
On the potential of La'more Lee Forrester, who netted 10 goals at U18 level in 2025-26…
That's La'more – he is exciting and can score goals and create. We are still working with him relentlessly in training day in, day out, seeing how we can get the best out of him consistently. He has produced some real explosive moments, but I do feel there is lots we can do to make him better and get him to that consistent level of performance. We also enjoy doing that as staff to maximise what we can. La'more is always exciting in that final third, so hopefully he can help the team moving forward.
On his hopes and aspirations in 2026-27 for the U18s group…
The job is just to keep progressing these players the best way that we can. Obviously we want to win all the games we are competing in but win with a style that we want to embed and be really difficult to play against. I think that's one of the biggest learnings from last season – that we can be a lot harder to play against. I want teams when they come to play us and when we go to them, that they know what type of game they are going to be in. And with the quality and talent that we've got, I'd like to see improvement from last season for sure.