Jay Spearing, a former Blackpool and Blackburn Rovers midfielder, has returned to his boyhood club Liverpool in a player and coaching role.
Spearing spent half of the 2015/16 season on loan to Rovers from Bolton Wanderers, making 15 appearances and scoring one. He moved to Bloomfield Road for four seasons with the Seasiders after leaving Bolton in the summer of 2017.
In that period, the midfielder scored eight goals in 120 appearances before leaving in the summer of 2020. He then played the next two seasons in League Two with Tranmere Rovers.
After leaving Prenton Park, Spearing is a free agent this summer. However, he has now returned to the place where his professional career began.
He will coach Liverpool’s under-18s and be able to play for the club’s under-21 side. Spearing debuted for Liverpool in 2008 and went on to make 55 appearances for the Reds.
Alex Inglethorpe, the academy’s manager, said: “It’s terrific to welcome Jay back to the Academy, where he will work as a full-time coach with the U18s. Jay will work with Bridgey (Marc Bridge-Wilkinson) and Tim (Tim Jenkins) on the training field, and he will be actively involved with our young players.
“He’ll also be eligible to play for the U21s when we need him to provide experience to the younger players.
“Jay is still young, but the impact he can have on the U18s is priceless since he is someone who lives and breathes the club. More importantly, Jay has experience in all four divisions, so I believe he will be an excellent addition to our team.”