If this year has not been without obvious difficulties, it has nevertheless been one of great encouragement for Liverpool's Academy.
From an under-23 side beating Shrewsbury Town in an FA Cup tie at a packed Anfield in February, through to Curtis Jones, Neco Williams and Rhys Williams establishing themselves as regular first-team players, the coaching staff at Kirkby have had plenty of reasons to feel proud.
And there could be another youngster being readied to travel the conveyor belt of talent towards Jurgen Klopp's senior squad.
Welsh left-back Owen Beck already has the credentials, given his great uncle is Liverpool's record goalscorer Ian Rush.
But the 18-year-old has been forging his own reputation while starring for the U23s this season.
Last month, U23s coach Barry Lewtas declared Beck has "probably been the most consistent performer" for the team this season.
Indeed, the defender achieved a notable landmark on Saturday when he assisted all three goals in Liverpool's 4-3 Premier League 2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Kirkby.
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And his form, which has led to a number of training sessions with the first team, has prompted further praise from U23s assistant coach Gary O'Neil.
"Owen Beck is an amazing one," he said. "He’s a young boy, he’s very small.
“He’s been underdeveloped the whole way through, so he’s always been the smallest in his age group, one of the youngest.
“He’s played every game for us at under-23 level this season and has done some training sessions with the first team."
O'Neil, speaking to talkSPORT, added: “So to see things like that going on, some of the pleasure the Academy staff must get from it, because I know it’s their job to develop players, but some of them go beyond that.
“Some of the staff, they’re there on a Tuesday night working with these kids in the rain when they’re 13.
“People are saying, ‘he’s a bit small’, but these guys are there putting the work in. Now you see the benefits of it.”
