Knowing when a player has outgrown the Academy is rarely the easiest of calls. And such is the juncture towards which Bobby Clark is fast approaching at Liverpool.

The 18-year-old midfielder made another sizeable step in his development during the summer, appearing regularly for Jurgen Klopp’s side during the pre-season programme and netting in the 4-0 win over Leicester City in Singapore.

On Monday, though, he was back with the under-21s, and by some distance the best player on the pitch when providing two assists and a goal as a strong Liverpool side romped home 4-0 against Everton in the mini-derby at Kirkby.

Clark, who has already appeared in the Premier League and the League Cup for the Reds, was linked with a loan move to the Championship earlier this summer, although Liverpool are not looking to let the teenager depart.

And should he remain at Kirkby as expected, the youngster has been issued with a challenge. “Bobby isn’t bad, is he?” says U21s coach Barry Lewtas with a grin of understatement to the ECHO. “What’s really exciting about him is that he works so hard as well. He is obviously a ball-carrying number eight, is creative, is imaginative, he tries things and sees things, but when he loses the ball he runs back.

“He is a real good kid and wants to do well. His performance against Everton mixed everything that he has together, and he deserved his goal at the end.

“We said to the boys before the game on Monday that a few years ago Curtis Jones was named Premier League 2 player of the year. We told them if they think they are above that level, or are ready to move on, there are ways of showing it and Curtis did that that year, and has gone on to where he is.

“We put that picture up in the meeting and said ‘look, that can be one of you if you end up staying here’. If Bobby stays with us at U21 level, he needs to be one of the best players.”

Clark was among a number of Academy players to have been involved with the first team over the summer, an experience Lewtas has already seen as benefiting the youngsters.

“We are unbelievably fortunate in that the players train with the first team a lot,” he says. “We’ve mentioned it before, but being in such close proximity with them here at Kirkby allows for that. But obviously if you go and spend six weeks with the first team, you pick things up. The manager and coaching staff are infectious and the quality of player when you look around can only motivate.

“But those who have come back, there’s not been a moment of being disappointed at being back with the U21s. Instead, they want to show how they’ve improved.”

One teenager who made the most of his pre-season was James McConnell, who impressed Liverpool boss Klopp when pushed into an unaccustomed defensive midfield role. The 18-year-old started against Everton in the position, and could be given an extended spell there with the U21s next in action on Friday at Derby County (7pm).

“James only played as a number six once last season,” explains Lewtas. “Being flexible in midfield and able to play in all the different roles is important. Alexis Mac Allister did it for the first team at Chelsea, for example. So you have to give the lads an opportunity at a young age to try these things – you don’t want them doing it for the first time at Stamford Bridge.

“James has done really well as a number eight over the years at the Academy and at the moment he’s getting an idea of how to play a bit deeper and was good defensively against Everton.”