Jay Spearing and Stephen Darby set for new Liverpool FC contracts
LIVERPOOL are ready to reward Jay Spearing for his progress at Anfield by offering the young midfielder a new contract.
And the club have already opened talks with fellow youngster Stephen Darby as Rafael Benitez continues planning for the future. Spearing, who won the FA Youth Cup in 2006, captained the team that retained the trophy in 2007 and also won the FA Premier Reserve League last year, finally made his long-awaited breakthrough into the first-team squad this season.
The 20-year-old midfielder was handed a debut as substitute in the Champions League group win at PSV Eindhoven in December.
Spearing, who is expected to be loaned out to a leading Coca-Cola Championship club next season, then enjoyed an impressive cameo from the bench in his Anfield bow against Real Madrid last month, with his performance earning praise from Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard.
"I was delighted for Jay because I think a few people will have been surprised by the way he performed after coming on against Real Madrid but I wasn't one of them," said Gerrard.
"First of all, you have to give credit to the manager for giving a young player a chance in such a big game and Jay certainly did not let him down.
"I see him in training all the time and he's got a good touch, he passes the ball well and he keeps thing simple and it was good to see him show what he is all about in a game like this.
"He certainly won't let anyone down if he is given more chances in the future."
Both Spearing and Darby, also 20, have just more than 12 months to run on their contracts.
Darby also played in the FA Youth Cup-winning sides of 2006 and 2007 and was the skipper of the reserve team that beat Aston Villa 3-0 to win the national title last season.
The right-back - and England under-19 international - made his debut in the Carling Cup defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in November and appeared at PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League the following month.
Another Liverpool youngster, Jack Hobbs, has emerged as a summer target for Leicester City.
The 20-year-old centre-back has spent the season on loan at the Walkers Stadium, so far playing 43 games and scoring once to help the Foxes to the brink of promotion to the Coca-Cola Championship.
Now Leicester manager Nigel Pearson hopes to sign Hobbs in a permanent deal at the end of the campaign.
The Midlanders are thought ready to offer around £500,000 for the defender, who has appeared in the Premier League and Carling Cup for Liverpool.
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