Former Wales manager Rob Page has been appointed head coach of the Liverpool Under-21 team.

The 50-year-old led his country to a first World Cup in 64 years in 2022 after guiding them to the second round of Euro 2020, but he was sacked in June 2024 by the Football Association of Wales after a failure to qualify for Euro 2024.

Page, a former Wales captain who won 41 caps, took charge of the senior national team after impressing as Wales Under-21 coach, while he has also coached at Port Vale and Northampton Town.

He now succeeds the long-serving Barry Lewtas at Anfield.

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Liverpool academy director Alex Inglethorpe told the club website: “Rob brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to a key role as young players look to bridge that gap from academy prospect to first-team footballers.

“His recent achievements in guiding Wales to the last 16 at Euro 2020 before qualifying for the 2022 World Cup speak for themselves.

“But perhaps less heralded is the work that took place during his time in charge of the national team, which saw numerous pathway players make it into the senior squad.

“This is something we have seen first-hand at Liverpool with several of our academy players making significant progress on the international stage under Rob’s guidance.”