Andre Wisdom was raised on the same street as Micah Richards in the tough Chapeltown area of Leeds. The physical comparison between the athletic Manchester City right back and Liverpool's reserve team captain is apparent the moment he turns to welcome LFC magazine at the club's academy in Kirkby; his torso stretching every fibre in his sweat sodden training shirt with all the elasticity of a cruiserweight champion.
Wisdom only turned 18 in May. He is a teenager in a man's body. His mind is also advanced of his peers. That's why he is chosen to lead, sometimes rotating the captaincy with Conor Coady.
By modern standards, though, Wisdom is a late developer. Despite intermittent periods at Leeds United, he was playing park football until the age of 14 when he was spotted by Bradford City. Within six months, a call came from Liverpool.
“Everything happened quite quickly for me,” he remembers, pointing out that it was evolution of Richards from street footballer to England international that partly inspired him. “Aaron Lennon came from round our way too...you realise that you can do it; make it in football. You also have to want it more than others.”
Wisdom is mindful that he hasn't made it just yet, although his development over the last four years has been rapid. Aged 15, he lined up against an Arsenal side containing Jack Wilshere in the FA Youth Cup Final of 2009 when everyone else on the pitch was a minimum of two years older than him. A year later he was selected to captain the under-18s side and before long he was receiving international recognition, winning the European Championships at under-17 level with England. Soon, despite suffering a knee injury at the start of last season that would keep others out for much longer, he was in Liverpool's reserve team well before the end of the campaign with all of his key attributes still in tact, particularly acceleration. His recovery was marked last week when he was selected in Stuart Pearce's England under-21 squad to face Azerbaijan and Israel in September.
There remains a final push to reach Liverpool's first team, however. And then he must remain there. Wisdom was selected by Kenny Dalglish to travel to the Far East this summer before featuring in three of the Reds' six pre-season friendlies, usually at right-back. His fortnightly schedule is currently split between Kirkby and Melwood; one week here, another week there. The decision is a deliberate one to give he and others the necessary experience in a first team environment if ever called upon, while also reminding them of the prize for consistent performances with the Reserves, under-18s or maybe even lower than that.
Wisdom's physique is natural. But he admits it will only get him so far. A common pitfall in youth football is the over-reliance on players whose bodies have developed as a faster rate than their contemporaries. It can sometimes make them look special; before the rest catch up. To become an established player in the Premier League, especially as a defender, positioning and an appreciation of space is essential.
“When you're younger, you do a lot of things on instinct but as you get older you realise why people do the things they do,” he says with sapience beyond his years. “Being at Melwood, you see how people move. Sometimes you don't need pace as a defender because if you know how to position yourself, you can put yourself one step ahead of the attacker. As you get older, defenders mature and you realise it's not all about physicality. Being built the way I am, I understand that being physical will only help me so much. To be a complete defender, you need to understand how the game is played.”
Wisdom talks slowly and deliberately, often pausing to consider each question. Dealing with the media is part of a footballer's job. When at Melwood, he listens to those around him – how those at the zenith of the game present themselves.
“You take bits from everywhere,” he continues. “At the top there's Jamie Carragher. [During training] You watch his movement; the way he read the game and organises the team...then [off the pitch] you see way he talks to people and presents himself. It makes you think 'if I was in the same situation, I'd try and do that...say that.'”
Like Carragher, Wisdom studies football. “Abroad you see defenders like Carles Puyol who is probably a similar build to me. I love his passion for the game...his aggression. I watch a lot of foreign stuff but I think you can learn from the lower leagues as well. There's a lot of players who have dropped down the league and sometimes into the Conference who you can learn from. Someone in my position needs experience and if you don't have that already you have to learn from others that do.”
As captain of the reserves, Wisdom takes his responsibility seriously. After just a few minutes in his presence, you can tell that he's the type that others will follow.
“I think that if you are a leader, you have to set the example by playing well...It's the small things that matter... You can't shout at someone if you aren't giving 100-per-cent yourself so you need to play approach every game like it's your last. You also have to realise that every player is different. I know some captains that might just treat everyone the same but there are some players that you get more from if you encourage them and others if you tell them off. It's about understanding the team and the characters around you. For me, you don't win games if you don't enjoy it so you need to find a way of making everybody look forward to games. If everyone wants to win and you try your best you can't ask for much more.”
He speaks like a statesman but one with humility. Such grounding comes from his professional day: One afternoon he might be marking Luis Suarez in a training exercise but the next morning he could be back at the Academy playing table tennis with a member of the club's under-15s squad.
“It's good being around the first team players but I love being down here too. It's like a family...everyone gets along. Being here keeps you on a level...you're desperate to make the next step, something I'm desperate to achieve.”
How does he go about reaching this? The competition is fierce.
“All I can do is give absolutely everything...try my hardest in every training session, every gym session and concentrate every time the manager speaks. Training with the first team is a big bonus too, testing yourself against the best players can only help you. You play against Andy Carroll who's a right handful then Luis Suarez who's different to that – very tricky. You learn different lessons. If I take these lessons with me and onto the pitch then maybe at some point I'll get an opportunity. You have to fight for it.”
