My way or the Heighway

Steve Heighway the legendary former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland winger and head of the club's highly successful academy, has labelled the decision of Rafael BenÍtez to take control of the best young players at the club as "crazy" . Heighway is leaving the academy after 19 years, during which he groomed the talents of a host of players, including Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen.

"Rafa is a terrific manager, tactically astute with qualities I really admire," Heighway said. "In my view, I'm the best coach of 17 and 18-year-old players in this club. But I no longer get the chance to do that. That's crazy, that's mad; it's to the detriment of the young players at this club. If they are not working with the best coach of young players, then what is this football club doing? It's not an ego thing, but one thing I am absolutely sure about is that the best thing for the players is to be with me.

"My influence is being taken away too soon over the best players and I'm not convinced that what they are going to do is better for them. Last summer Rafa called me when I was in America and told me he wanted five players to go to the reserve-team squad, but he never asked me my view. He just told me, 'These are the five I want.' So my whole role has been totally undermined.

"Maybe because I have a brain and a mind, maybe that counts against you. I have never been asked by the manager which players I think are the best players. His staff watch the players and his staff make the decisions."