Liverpool midfielder James Milner has praised the club's youngsters for the way they performed during their FA Cup outings this season.
Jurgen Klopp used the competition to give a number of young players a chance due to the packed fixture schedule and injury crisis that the Reds were forced to contend with in January and February.
The weakened team took West Ham United all the way to extra time before being knocked out in the 121st minute of their fourth-round replay on Tuesday night, and Milner believes that they have shown the ability to push for more regular first-team spots.
"They've got their heads on their shoulders, their feet on the ground, and they know what they want to achieve. If they don't, that's where we step in and give them a kick up the rear but I don't see that being too much of a problem," he told the club's official website.
"To perform how they did over those two games and when they've been called on this year is great. We've had a lot of injuries this year and you want those boys to come in and not just fill that spot for the time being but to push whoever's holding that shirt and be part of the squad, improve and become better players as well.
"Ultimately they're the future of this club so the more games they get, the more experience and the more they can learn, it's obviously better for everyone."
Liverpool's next match sees them take on rock-bottom Aston Villa on Sunday.
Barney Corkhill
