---
title: "Is Tom Ince What We Need?"
canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/articles/is-tom-ince-what-we-need/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Matt Santer"
section: "Articles"
published: "2013-04-06T16:50:37Z"
modified: "2013-08-23T23:07:50Z"
---

# Is Tom Ince What We Need?

With a manager in charge who seems hell-bent on utilising his considerable arsenal of youth talent – whether purchased or nurtured – Liverpool are beginning to show just what is possible. The pedigree of talisman Steven Gerrard, the sometimes frightening natural ability of Luis Suarez and the sheer doe-eyed enthusiasm of Raheem Sterling et al are all strong indicators that the Reds are clawing their way back to where they belong.

In Gerrard you have probably one of the greatest examples of a complete, outfield player. As far as consistent performers go in Premier League over the past decade there haven’t been many better. Purists would argue that he is the stand-out best midfielder and captain not to have won a Premier League trophy.

Adding that to a good mix of varied and modern midfield ability in Joe Allen, Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho gives you what can only be an eventual recipe for success. The latter in particular is looking to be one of the best signings the club has made in recent years – explosive, exciting, skilful and energetic. Every so often Liverpool will sign a player that immediately gets the stadium on its feet. Suarez is one of them and early evidence suggests that the young Brazilian is also ticking that box.

Where purchasing is concerned, Liverpool have become synonymous with writing cheques for promising, younger players. Neither are they in the market for selling them too often, opting instead for loaning out in the hope that they receive a fast-track baptism of fire, coming back bigger, tougher and smarter.

In addition, the club has a real knack of holding onto players that would otherwise be the subject of haemorrhage-inducing speculation. I am certain that there would have been a few more ‘one club men’ had money and misguided ambition not played some part.

Transfer links are typically with players between the ages of 18-24, some of whom have been warming the benches of the big spenders to make up the quota of youth and English players. A perfect example is of course Daniel Sturridge – not really getting a look-in at Chelsea until returning from a loan spell at Bolton, proving he could do the business, then getting shipped out. This of course has been very much to Liverpool’s benefit.

In fact, all three tactics are beginning to pay dividends under Rodgers. The far more frequent flashes of brilliance from the likes of Jonjo Shelvey can maybe be put down to be being thrown in at the deep end. The same goes for Allen and Henderson. It sometimes slips the memory of many a critical journalist, pundit and fan, however, that this trio have an average age of only 22.

And since January, a product of Liverpool’s academy has come back under the scouting radar: Thomas Ince. He left Liverpool for Blackpool in 2011 aged 19 after a solitary, unspectacular senior appearance in a League Cup defeat to Northampton Town in September 2010. In between he had spent a short but fairly productive loan spell with his father’s Notts County.

Now at 21 years of age, Ince is once again playing under his dad Paul’s leadership. This time around, Ince Jr is proving quite a player. 18 league goals in 33 Championship appearances isn’t a terrible return for a player played predominantly as a wide midfielder. Notching up almost half of his team’s entire league goal tally brings some attention with it, with Liverpool appearing to be at the front of the queue if and when he decides to move on.

The January window appears not to have distracted him, suggesting a maturity and focus helped in no small part by the importance of his presence in the starting 11. Even in last season’s play-off final with West Ham, Ince carved the figure of a player much older that he actually was. His excellent goal and predatory running were not rewarded by a return to the Premier League with the Seasiders.

Thankfully for ‘Pops’, this has not pushed young Thomas away. He has instead gone above and beyond what most expected of him. I would go as far as to say he may now be an excellent fit for Rodgers’ new look Reds. If Paul’s valuation of his pride and joy is anything to go by he won’t be coming cheap.

***“If you’re talking £15m for Zaha, Thomas has got to be £25m. If you compare the two, Thomas should cost more.”***

I wouldn’t have thought FSG will part with that kind of cash for a player they have already invested in. I suppose it would be a bit like going out with a childhood sweetheart that you hadn’t seen for a number of years, then paying a fortune to marry her. Although you are getting back a matured, closer-to-finished article, you could probably go and find another one and just start from scratch.

There is also the predicament of having some quite similar players in the ranks; pace-filled and adventurous wide players, capable of cutting in across the box. He basically epitomised a modern attacker, with the traditional centre-forward gradually becoming obsolete. Sterling and Sturridge, I think, could quite comfortably fulfil any role offered by Ince. Sterling rarely looks out of his depth in the Premier League. Sturridge has plied his trade on a foundation of top-division loan moves and some European football. The youth of Liverpool’s first team squad are being fed on a diet of freedom and exposure, with a little bit of tactical reservation – something that many would say a young Michael Owen could have done with during his time on Merseyside.

Something that Ince now has in his weaponry is the fact that he has been much a linchpin for a good-to very Championship side, depended upon for creativity and adding a little something extra where it matters. Whether or not that would be of use to Liverpool is of course another question. Is he worth taking another gamble on?

When you use the precedent of David Nugent – signed by Portsmouth from Preston North End at the age of 22 – you find yourself a ‘one cap wonder’, scraping around the Championship at 26. Many think the same fate will fall upon Wilfried Zaha, though I remain quietly confident on that particular player despite my usual, irritating cynicism.

I can’t help but think that one important thing is different for Ince. His dad is about as protective and experienced as they come. He himself was a young prodigy; signing for Manchester United at the age of 21 for £1m. He therefore knows all too well the pressure and expectation that comes with being a superstar English footballer – albeit in a very different era of the game. He may steep positive pressure on the fruit of loins, but I think that this is mostly in his capacity as a boss.

As a father, he insists that his son will only move if it is right. As his most honest and probably harshest critic, Thomas has the unique opportunity of becoming a humble but top class player in the Premier League and for England. The question will be on where he ends up at club level.

As a neutral looking from the outside in, I think his ‘pop’ may be well placed to advise his young son on where he might be best accommodated. He of course spent two seasons at Liverpool in his later playing days, but you can’t fail to notice that it has become quite a different place since then. As it stands however (and presumably under Rodgers if still in charge) I think Liverpool would probably be the ideal environment for Thomas to make an impact.