A report in The People this morning claims that "Liverpool are ready to make talent-spotter Frank McParland his new academy chief - with orders to find the next Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher . The Anfield club are worried that few local lads have come through the ranks since the first team stalwarts arrived a decade ago."

Having seemingly won the battle for control at Anfield, Rafa Benitez will first appoint McParland as head of the academy as he aims to secure the long-term futures of his backroom staff.

McParland was previously joint chief scout at Anfield and is described by the official Liverpool website as "instrumental in helping to restructure the club's entire scouting operation and been influential in attracting some highly-rated young British-based players to the club."

The 50-year-old had left Liverpool to join Sammy Lee at Bolton at the start of the 2007/2008 season and has also spent time at Watford where he was general manager.

According to Alan Nixon in The People, "Now Benitez wants McParland to breathe new life into Liverpool's youth scouting system and find the best youngsters around, especially if they are Scousers."