Liverpool manager director Ian Ayre is to be promoted to the role of chief executive, the club’s first since Rick Parry in 2009.
Ayre was joined by chief scout Barry Hunter in Rome last night. Photo: David Rawcliffe/Propaganda.
Originally appointed under the Tom Hicks and George Gillett ownership, Ayre was commercial director at Anfield until March 2011, when Fenway Sports Group promoted him to managing director.
The Liverpool Echo report that his most recent promotion comes as a reward for the club’s growing success on and off the pitch:
Among Ayre’s successes are his role in persuading Luis Suarez to remain at Anfield last summer.
He is also credited with vastly improving the club’s commercial performance, helping to secure landmark sponsorship deals with the likes of Warrior Sports and Standard Chartered.
And for those of you wondering quite what a chief executive is, Investopedia defines it as:
The highest ranking executive in a company whose main responsibilities include developing and implementing high-level strategies, making major corporate decisions, managing the overall operations and resources of a company, and acting as the main point of communication between the board of directors and the corporate operations. The CEO will often have a position on the board, and in some cases is even the chair.
Ayre has also been involved with the progress of Liverpool’s ambitions to redevelop Anfield and increase capacity.
On Wednesday, the club officially submitted their planning application for the proposed redevelopments, with work scheduled to start in early 2015.
The Main Stand should be completed in time for the 2016/17 season, with a further phase of development planned on the Anfield Road End following that.
There was more good news for Liverpool and Ayre on Thursday when they announced they had agreed a deal with German side Bayer Leverkusen over the transfer of midfielder Emre Can.
Can is expected to be confirmed as a Reds player on July 1st, with the fee reported to be around £9.7 million.
Is Ayre the right man to take Liverpool forward in a chief executive role? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Liverpool manager director Ian Ayre is to be promoted to the role of chief executive, the club’s first since Rick Parry in 2009.
Ayre was joined by chief scout Barry Hunter in Rome last night. Photo: David Rawcliffe/Propaganda.
Originally appointed under the Tom Hicks and George Gillett ownership, Ayre was commercial director at Anfield until March 2011, when Fenway Sports Group promoted him to managing director.
The Liverpool Echo report that his most recent promotion comes as a reward for the club’s growing success on and off the pitch:
Among Ayre’s successes are his role in persuading Luis Suarez to remain at Anfield last summer.
He is also credited with vastly improving the club’s commercial performance, helping to secure landmark sponsorship deals with the likes of Warrior Sports and Standard Chartered.
And for those of you wondering quite what a chief executive is, Investopedia defines it as:
The highest ranking executive in a company whose main responsibilities include developing and implementing high-level strategies, making major corporate decisions, managing the overall operations and resources of a company, and acting as the main point of communication between the board of directors and the corporate operations. The CEO will often have a position on the board, and in some cases is even the chair.
Ayre has also been involved with the progress of Liverpool’s ambitions to redevelop Anfield and increase capacity.
On Wednesday, the club officially submitted their planning application for the proposed redevelopments, with work scheduled to start in early 2015.
The Main Stand should be completed in time for the 2016/17 season, with a further phase of development planned on the Anfield Road End following that.
There was more good news for Liverpool and Ayre on Thursday when they announced they had agreed a deal with German side Bayer Leverkusen over the transfer of midfielder Emre Can.
Can is expected to be confirmed as a Reds player on July 1st, with the fee reported to be around £9.7 million.
Is Ayre the right man to take Liverpool forward in a chief executive role? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Once the paperwork is done, Emre Can will be Liverpool’s second signing of the summer and here we round-up the best reactions to the reported £9.7 million deal.
Liverpool confirmed they had agreed the deal with Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday morning and “subject to documentation being completed” Can will be registered as a Reds player on July 1st.
It is another shrewd move by Liverpool, completing another deal so early in the summer after the acquisition of England international Rickie Lambert earlier this week.
Can brings with him both youth and experience, having played for Bayern Munich and Leverkusen by the age of 20.
He was part of Leverkusen’s 2013/14 Champions League team and will provide Brendan Rodgers will versatile options in his midfield going forward.
We found the best tweets reacting to Can’s move to Liverpool and share them with you here. Let us know your thoughts on the Germany Under-21 international in the comments section below.
Once the paperwork is done, Emre Can will be Liverpool’s second signing of the summer and here we round-up the best reactions to the reported £9.7 million deal.
Liverpool confirmed they had agreed the deal with Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday morning and “subject to documentation being completed” Can will be registered as a Reds player on July 1st.
It is another shrewd move by Liverpool, completing another deal so early in the summer after the acquisition of England international Rickie Lambert earlier this week.
Can brings with him both youth and experience, having played for Bayern Munich and Leverkusen by the age of 20.
He was part of Leverkusen’s 2013/14 Champions League team and will provide Brendan Rodgers will versatile options in his midfield going forward.
We found the best tweets reacting to Can’s move to Liverpool and share them with you here. Let us know your thoughts on the Germany Under-21 international in the comments section below.
Liverpool have confirmed that they have agreed a “deal in prinicpal” for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Emre Can.
The 20-year-old will sign for Liverpool on July 1st “subject to documentation being completed”.
A statement from the club confirmed the news on Thursday morning, adding:
A versatile German youth international, the Frankfurt-born midfielder made 29 Bundesliga appearances last season, scoring three goals.
His contributions helped Leverkusen finish fourth and secure Champions League qualification, having joined the club from Bayern Munich last summer.
It is understood that Can will cost Liverpool around £9.7 million, according to ESPN.
Can will become Brendan Rodgers‘ second signing of the summer, after the Reds completed a £4 million deal for England international striker Rickie Lambert earlier in the week.
Can, a German Under-21 international, came through Bayern Munich’s youth ranks, making four appearances for the senior side before switching to Leverkusen in 2013.
During 2013/14, he made 29 appearances for Leverkusen, scoring three goals and creating 16 goalscoring chances for teammates.
In an article published last week on This Is Anfield, Benji Deane wrote of Can’s potential move to Anfield:
A tenacious and enterprising midfielder, Can brings strength and composure normally associated with older more experienced players. Although I feel he wouldn’t yet make the starting line-up with a midfield trio potentially containing Gerrard, Henderson and Lallana, I would welcome Can to the squad and he could prove to be a gem of a signing.
We’ll have a full scouting report to give you the lowdown on Liverpool’s new midfielder later on Thursday.
Liverpool have confirmed that they have agreed a “deal in prinicpal” for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Emre Can.
The 20-year-old will sign for Liverpool on July 1st “subject to documentation being completed”.
A statement from the club confirmed the news on Thursday morning, adding:
A versatile German youth international, the Frankfurt-born midfielder made 29 Bundesliga appearances last season, scoring three goals.
His contributions helped Leverkusen finish fourth and secure Champions League qualification, having joined the club from Bayern Munich last summer.
It is understood that Can will cost Liverpool around £9.7 million, according to ESPN.
Can will become Brendan Rodgers‘ second signing of the summer, after the Reds completed a £4 million deal for England international striker Rickie Lambert earlier in the week.
Can, a German Under-21 international, came through Bayern Munich’s youth ranks, making four appearances for the senior side before switching to Leverkusen in 2013.
During 2013/14, he made 29 appearances for Leverkusen, scoring three goals and creating 16 goalscoring chances for teammates.
In an article published last week on This Is Anfield, Benji Deane wrote of Can’s potential move to Anfield:
A tenacious and enterprising midfielder, Can brings strength and composure normally associated with older more experienced players. Although I feel he wouldn’t yet make the starting line-up with a midfield trio potentially containing Gerrard, Henderson and Lallana, I would welcome Can to the squad and he could prove to be a gem of a signing.
We’ll have a full scouting report to give you the lowdown on Liverpool’s new midfielder later on Thursday.
Liverpool officially submitted planning application for the proposed redevelopment of Anfield on Wednesday, which will eventually see the capacity increase to approximately 58,569.
Liverpool say that the application is expected to be considered by the city’s planning committee later this year, with building work scheduled to start early in 2015 and the new Main Stand complete in time for the 2016/17 season.
That means, if all goes to plan, in two years’ time Anfield will have a capacity of just under 54,000 and stage one of the development completed.
The new Main Stand will feature a new Hillsborough memorial, a large open space and podium entrance and a second club shop. Inside it will see the club move into the 21st century with new media and corporate hospitality areas.
The second phase of the redevelopment will see the proposed plans for a redeveloped Anfield Road Stand, taking it’s current capacity from 9,074 to 13,860 and the overall stadium capacity to circa 58,000.
The planning application includes the option for 8 apartments in the upper level of the stand, or alternatively commercial space.
The capacity will not be affected while works take place at the stadium at any stage.
The eventual plans will see Anfield Road itself become pedestrianised and closed off, while the fences surrounding Anfield will be removed to create open spaces.
Liverpool officially submitted planning application for the proposed redevelopment of Anfield on Wednesday, which will eventually see the capacity increase to approximately 58,569.
Liverpool say that the application is expected to be considered by the city’s planning committee later this year, with building work scheduled to start early in 2015 and the new Main Stand complete in time for the 2016/17 season.
That means, if all goes to plan, in two years’ time Anfield will have a capacity of just under 54,000 and stage one of the development completed.
The new Main Stand will feature a new Hillsborough memorial, a large open space and podium entrance and a second club shop. Inside it will see the club move into the 21st century with new media and corporate hospitality areas.
The second phase of the redevelopment will see the proposed plans for a redeveloped Anfield Road Stand, taking it’s current capacity from 9,074 to 13,860 and the overall stadium capacity to circa 58,000.
The planning application includes the option for 8 apartments in the upper level of the stand, or alternatively commercial space.
The capacity will not be affected while works take place at the stadium at any stage.
The eventual plans will see Anfield Road itself become pedestrianised and closed off, while the fences surrounding Anfield will be removed to create open spaces.
Commercial revenue increased by 21% at Premier League clubs in the 2012/13 season and topped £2.5 billion for the first time, according to the Annual Review of Football Finance by Deloitte.
However, over 75% of the revenue increase was spent on wages, which rose by £125m (8%) to £1.8 billion and resulted in the overall Premier League clubs' wages to revenue ratio reaching a record high of 71%.
These increases led to the aggregate profit falling by £2m to £82m, although 13 of the Premier League clubs made a profit in 2012/13 compared with 10 in the previous year.
Adam Bull, Senior Consultant at Deloitte, says that wage costs are forecast to increase again in 2013/14: "The pattern in spending on wages following previous increases in broadcast deals, suggests it's likely around 60% or more of the revenue increase in 2013/14 will flow through to wages.
"On that basis, we would expect Premier League total wage costs to reach a new record level of around £2.2 billion. However, given the forecast increase in revenue, this would also return the wages to revenue ratio below 70% for the first time since 2009/10."
Dan Jones, Partner at Deloitte, said: "Once again the global appeal of the Premier League has continued to drive commercial revenue growth, particularly at the highest ranked Premier League clubs. Matchday revenue also increased by 6% with fewer unsold seats at Premier League games than ever before."
Premier League clubs will receive another significant increase in revenue in the 2013/14 season. Deloitte estimates that revenue will have increased by almost 30% to £3.2 billion in the 2013/14 season.
This growth will be driven by the revenue from the first season of the Premier League's new broadcast deals and further commercial revenue growth at the biggest clubs.
However, the 2012/13 season was a particularly bleak year for the finances of Championship clubs. A revenue reduction of £39m was compounded by a £40m increase in wage costs, leading to record operating losses of £241m. Pre-tax losses also increased by £170m, equivalent to an additional £7m per club, to £323m.
Bull commented: "The 2012/13 wages to revenue ratio for Championship clubs of 106% is the highest ever recorded by an English division and is clearly unsustainable without ongoing owner support.
"The introduction of the Championship Financial Fair Play Rules was widely seen, and advocated by the clubs who voted it in, as a necessary step to change clubs' behaviour.
"The severity of the punishments applied to those who have not complied with the rules in the 2013/14 season and the eventual result of efforts to change the rules, will determine the extent to which they present an effective deterrent to widespread overspending."
Other key findings include:
The Bundesliga remained Europe's most profitable league with operating profits of £226m, followed by the Premier League, with operating profits of £82m;
The total European football market grew to a record £17.1 billion (€19.9 billion) in 2012/13;
Premier League clubs generated the highest revenue (£2.5 billion) of any league in Europe in 2012/13, followed by Germany (£1.7 billion), Spain (£1.6 billion), Italy (£1.4 billion), and France (£1.1 billion);
The top 92 English clubs invested £211m in stadia and facilities in 2012/13, the highest amount of capital investment since 2006. Capital investment by clubs across the top four divisions since the Premier League began has now exceeded £3.5 billion;
Net debt in respect of Premier League clubs was £2.5 billion, an increase of £139m (6%) on 2012;
The Government's tax take from the top 92 professional football clubs was around £1.3 billion in 2012/13.
Commercial revenue increased by 21% at Premier League clubs in the 2012/13 season and topped £2.5 billion for the first time, according to the Annual Review of Football Finance by Deloitte.
However, over 75% of the revenue increase was spent on wages, which rose by £125m (8%) to £1.8 billion and resulted in the overall Premier League clubs' wages to revenue ratio reaching a record high of 71%.
These increases led to the aggregate profit falling by £2m to £82m, although 13 of the Premier League clubs made a profit in 2012/13 compared with 10 in the previous year.
Adam Bull, Senior Consultant at Deloitte, says that wage costs are forecast to increase again in 2013/14: "The pattern in spending on wages following previous increases in broadcast deals, suggests it's likely around 60% or more of the revenue increase in 2013/14 will flow through to wages.
"On that basis, we would expect Premier League total wage costs to reach a new record level of around £2.2 billion. However, given the forecast increase in revenue, this would also return the wages to revenue ratio below 70% for the first time since 2009/10."
Dan Jones, Partner at Deloitte, said: "Once again the global appeal of the Premier League has continued to drive commercial revenue growth, particularly at the highest ranked Premier League clubs. Matchday revenue also increased by 6% with fewer unsold seats at Premier League games than ever before."
Premier League clubs will receive another significant increase in revenue in the 2013/14 season. Deloitte estimates that revenue will have increased by almost 30% to £3.2 billion in the 2013/14 season.
This growth will be driven by the revenue from the first season of the Premier League's new broadcast deals and further commercial revenue growth at the biggest clubs.
However, the 2012/13 season was a particularly bleak year for the finances of Championship clubs. A revenue reduction of £39m was compounded by a £40m increase in wage costs, leading to record operating losses of £241m. Pre-tax losses also increased by £170m, equivalent to an additional £7m per club, to £323m.
Bull commented: "The 2012/13 wages to revenue ratio for Championship clubs of 106% is the highest ever recorded by an English division and is clearly unsustainable without ongoing owner support.
"The introduction of the Championship Financial Fair Play Rules was widely seen, and advocated by the clubs who voted it in, as a necessary step to change clubs' behaviour.
"The severity of the punishments applied to those who have not complied with the rules in the 2013/14 season and the eventual result of efforts to change the rules, will determine the extent to which they present an effective deterrent to widespread overspending."
Other key findings include:
The Bundesliga remained Europe's most profitable league with operating profits of £226m, followed by the Premier League, with operating profits of £82m;
The total European football market grew to a record £17.1 billion (€19.9 billion) in 2012/13;
Premier League clubs generated the highest revenue (£2.5 billion) of any league in Europe in 2012/13, followed by Germany (£1.7 billion), Spain (£1.6 billion), Italy (£1.4 billion), and France (£1.1 billion);
The top 92 English clubs invested £211m in stadia and facilities in 2012/13, the highest amount of capital investment since 2006. Capital investment by clubs across the top four divisions since the Premier League began has now exceeded £3.5 billion;
Net debt in respect of Premier League clubs was £2.5 billion, an increase of £139m (6%) on 2012;
The Government's tax take from the top 92 professional football clubs was around £1.3 billion in 2012/13.
Liverpool’s Joe Allen is set to captain Wales tonight in their friendly against Netherlands, Jack Lusby writes how this is a coming of age for the midfielder.
Wales manager Chris Coleman takes his charges to the Amsterdam ArenA tonight to take on Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands side as the latter continue to warm up for the World Cup; a mere friendly for most, but for Liverpool’s Joe Allen this will be the most significant of occasions.
With key players Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Ashley Williams all out of the squad for the fixture, Coleman has selected 24-year-old Allen to captain his side for the first time.
In what is a landmark game for the Liverpool man, Allen’s Wales captaincy marks a coming of age for a previously oft-maligned figure in Brendan Rodgers’ squad.
Season with Liverpool
On Allen’s credentials with regards to captaining his side, Coleman said “[He’s] established himself at one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League,” as per BBC Sport.
“In the second half of the season he was really, really outstanding. It’s something [captaincy] that I never thought twice about.”
The former Fulham manager’s words underline the slow-burning, impressive season that Allen had under Brendan Rodgers in 2013/14, returning from long-term injury issues to become an important part of the Northern Irishman’s side.
The 24-year-old featured 24 times in the Premier League, scoring one goal—a well worked header against Crystal Palace in their unfortunate 3-3 draw.
Initially regarded as Rodgers’ pass master, Allen has tailored his game to the Reds’ new system of pressing and dominating teams on and off the ball.
Defensively, Allen has become particularly outstanding, with Squawka attributing the Welshman with a 56 percent tackle success rate.
Moreover, the former Swansea City man has developed the confident ability to glide past players with the ball in order to open up play; a 79 percent take on success rate proves this.
With the aforementioned fitness issues limiting Allen’s game time at points in 2013/14, the midfielder became Rodgers’ go-to-guy when looking to edge a close game out late on, and it is these qualities—paired with a defining bravery—that adhered Allen to this role.
Bravery
When outlining Allen’s importance to his Wales side, Coleman spoke of the 24-year-old’s bravery as integral to his game plan:
“I think the way we play Joe is at the heart of that. He’s a very brave player, one of the bravest players I’ve experienced working with in terms of he always wants the ball. It doesn’t matter whether he’s having a good time or a bad time he just keeps going to get the ball and he leads within his play.”
In what has become a surprising facet of his game, Allen has displayed a consistent willingness to take up possession in areas in which some players would baulk at.
This is something that Rodgers echoed upon signing the then-22-year-old from Swansea in 2012, claiming “He wants the ball all the time – he has so much courage to get on the ball and play and I think he’ll fit in really, really well with all the other clever players we already have here.”
Taking the ball, Allen moves play on intelligently and ambitiously.
As per Squawka, 62 percent of the 24-year-old’s passes in the Premier League last season were forward passes; this is more than Jordan Henderson (58.8 percent) and comparable with Philippe Coutinho (63.3 percent).
This willingness to receive the ball, even in dangerous areas, and recycle possession forwards is exactly how Allen “leads within his play,” and how he will be so important to both Wales and Liverpool now and into the future.
Big Game Player
Clearly facing the prospect of a ‘lambs to the slaughter’ situation, with a diminished Wales squad up against a Netherlands squad in full flow, Coleman will need to draw upon Allen’s experience in Liverpool’s title race in order to formulate his game plan.
The 43-year-old said “International football, the way he plays, is for Joe. There’s no opposition that we could play that I think Joe would struggle to make an impact on the game.”
The notion of the midfielder’s ability to impact on any game, regardless of size, could be seen throughout Liverpool’s Premier League challenge as he became a genuine big-game player for Rodgers.
Returning to fitness, Allen was included in the starting XI for the 5-0 away victory over Spurs, the 2-1 losses away to Manchester City and Chelsea in December, March’s 3-0 victory over Manchester United, and the unfortunate 2-0 loss to Chelsea at the season’s end.
None of the respective losses could be blamed on the inclusion of Allen; on the contrary, the Welshman’s vitality in the midfield ensured each were a close encounter till the death.
Coleman will hope to utilise this experience with Allen as captain in order to gain an unlikely result from Van Gaal’s men.
Amsterdam and Beyond
In light of Liverpool’s eventual failure to win the Premier League title, Allen is looking to end his season on a positive note:
“It does help take away some of the hurt of what happened at the end and you always want to end a season on a positive – and captaining your country is a massive moment for anybody.”
Pairing this with his marriage, set for this weekend, a win over the Netherlands tonight would cap an exceptional end to the season for the 24-year-old.
Crystal Palace and Wales midfielder Joe Ledley told BBC Sport “[Allen is] a fantastic player; on the pitch and off the pitch as well…we’re all happy for him to lead us out onto that pitch.”
The key word surrounding Allen’s coming of age captaining Wales is positivity.
It is the positivity, in Allen’s game and within the Wales squad, that will be integral for this game and beyond for both club and country.
Has Joe Allen matured as a player at Liverpool? Let us know in the comments below.
Liverpool’s Joe Allen is set to captain Wales tonight in their friendly against Netherlands, Jack Lusby writes how this is a coming of age for the midfielder.
Wales manager Chris Coleman takes his charges to the Amsterdam ArenA tonight to take on Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands side as the latter continue to warm up for the World Cup; a mere friendly for most, but for Liverpool’s Joe Allen this will be the most significant of occasions.
With key players Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Ashley Williams all out of the squad for the fixture, Coleman has selected 24-year-old Allen to captain his side for the first time.
In what is a landmark game for the Liverpool man, Allen’s Wales captaincy marks a coming of age for a previously oft-maligned figure in Brendan Rodgers’ squad.
Season with Liverpool
On Allen’s credentials with regards to captaining his side, Coleman said “[He’s] established himself at one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League,” as per BBC Sport.
“In the second half of the season he was really, really outstanding. It’s something [captaincy] that I never thought twice about.”
The former Fulham manager’s words underline the slow-burning, impressive season that Allen had under Brendan Rodgers in 2013/14, returning from long-term injury issues to become an important part of the Northern Irishman’s side.
The 24-year-old featured 24 times in the Premier League, scoring one goal—a well worked header against Crystal Palace in their unfortunate 3-3 draw.
Initially regarded as Rodgers’ pass master, Allen has tailored his game to the Reds’ new system of pressing and dominating teams on and off the ball.
Defensively, Allen has become particularly outstanding, with Squawka attributing the Welshman with a 56 percent tackle success rate.
Moreover, the former Swansea City man has developed the confident ability to glide past players with the ball in order to open up play; a 79 percent take on success rate proves this.
With the aforementioned fitness issues limiting Allen’s game time at points in 2013/14, the midfielder became Rodgers’ go-to-guy when looking to edge a close game out late on, and it is these qualities—paired with a defining bravery—that adhered Allen to this role.
Bravery
When outlining Allen’s importance to his Wales side, Coleman spoke of the 24-year-old’s bravery as integral to his game plan:
“I think the way we play Joe is at the heart of that. He’s a very brave player, one of the bravest players I’ve experienced working with in terms of he always wants the ball. It doesn’t matter whether he’s having a good time or a bad time he just keeps going to get the ball and he leads within his play.”
In what has become a surprising facet of his game, Allen has displayed a consistent willingness to take up possession in areas in which some players would baulk at.
This is something that Rodgers echoed upon signing the then-22-year-old from Swansea in 2012, claiming “He wants the ball all the time – he has so much courage to get on the ball and play and I think he’ll fit in really, really well with all the other clever players we already have here.”
Taking the ball, Allen moves play on intelligently and ambitiously.
As per Squawka, 62 percent of the 24-year-old’s passes in the Premier League last season were forward passes; this is more than Jordan Henderson (58.8 percent) and comparable with Philippe Coutinho (63.3 percent).
This willingness to receive the ball, even in dangerous areas, and recycle possession forwards is exactly how Allen “leads within his play,” and how he will be so important to both Wales and Liverpool now and into the future.
Big Game Player
Clearly facing the prospect of a ‘lambs to the slaughter’ situation, with a diminished Wales squad up against a Netherlands squad in full flow, Coleman will need to draw upon Allen’s experience in Liverpool’s title race in order to formulate his game plan.
The 43-year-old said “International football, the way he plays, is for Joe. There’s no opposition that we could play that I think Joe would struggle to make an impact on the game.”
The notion of the midfielder’s ability to impact on any game, regardless of size, could be seen throughout Liverpool’s Premier League challenge as he became a genuine big-game player for Rodgers.
Returning to fitness, Allen was included in the starting XI for the 5-0 away victory over Spurs, the 2-1 losses away to Manchester City and Chelsea in December, March’s 3-0 victory over Manchester United, and the unfortunate 2-0 loss to Chelsea at the season’s end.
None of the respective losses could be blamed on the inclusion of Allen; on the contrary, the Welshman’s vitality in the midfield ensured each were a close encounter till the death.
Coleman will hope to utilise this experience with Allen as captain in order to gain an unlikely result from Van Gaal’s men.
Amsterdam and Beyond
In light of Liverpool’s eventual failure to win the Premier League title, Allen is looking to end his season on a positive note:
“It does help take away some of the hurt of what happened at the end and you always want to end a season on a positive – and captaining your country is a massive moment for anybody.”
Pairing this with his marriage, set for this weekend, a win over the Netherlands tonight would cap an exceptional end to the season for the 24-year-old.
Crystal Palace and Wales midfielder Joe Ledley told BBC Sport “[Allen is] a fantastic player; on the pitch and off the pitch as well…we’re all happy for him to lead us out onto that pitch.”
The key word surrounding Allen’s coming of age captaining Wales is positivity.
It is the positivity, in Allen’s game and within the Wales squad, that will be integral for this game and beyond for both club and country.
Has Joe Allen matured as a player at Liverpool? Let us know in the comments below.
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