It’s an academy famed for producing a few of England’s most proficient gamers of current instances.
Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen and, extra lately, Trent Alexander-Arnold are among the many stellar names to have graduated via Liverpool’s youth system, earlier than occurring to develop into international superstars.
To not point out, after all, the jewel within the crown, Steven Gerrard – argued by some as being the best participant to ever pull on the membership shirt.
However even Gerrard was as soon as working within the shadow of Jamie Cassidy – {the teenager} picked forward of the long run England captain for the FA’s centre of excellence, and regarded by many probably the most prestigious expertise of all.
On the age of 15, Cassidy was the main scorer for the England under-16 staff within the 1993-94 season with six targets, together with three within the European under-16 championships.
Jamie Cassidy, a former Liverpool FC youth star, is awaiting sentencing for conspiracy to produce class A medicine and conspiracy to launder cash
![Cassidy alongside fellow youth team star Jamie Carragher](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82503751-13200597-image-a-3_1710500455054.jpg?resize=634%2C457&ssl=1)
Cassidy alongside fellow youth staff star Jamie Carragher
![Jamie Cassidy, second left, with his teamates David Thompson (left), Michael Owen (second right) and Jamie Carragher (right) in 1996](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82504407-13200597-image-a-16_1710501964551.jpg?resize=634%2C480&ssl=1)
Jamie Cassidy, second left, along with his teamates David Thompson (left), Michael Owen (second proper) and Jamie Carragher (proper) in 1996
A couple of years later he, alongside teammates Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen, was a key participant of the Liverpool staff that gained the membership’s first FA Youth Cup with a 4-1 win over two legs towards a famously good West Ham staff, that includes Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard.
Photos from the day present Cassidy’s face beaming with pleasure as he held the trophy aloft at Anfield.
A primary-team contract was swiftly supplied by Liverpool and signed.
The supervisor of the England senior staff Glenn Hoddle was so impressed with what he noticed he invited Cassidy to spend time with the squad earlier than one match as a result of he was positive he can be a future worldwide.
However regardless of the excessive hopes from his household, pals, managers and soccer followers – Cassidy would by no means play a match for Liverpool.
He can be launched by the membership in 1999 on the age of 21, earlier than enjoying a number of video games for Cambridge United, then drifting into non-league soccer.
Cassidy’s life took a distinct path. This week, now 46, he might be sentenced for being concerned in an industrial scale importation of cocaine from South America to Europe.
Subsequent to him within the dock might be his elder brother Jonathan, 50, a former builder who headed the operation that for a number of years noticed common shipments of cocaine to Amsterdam from cartels in South America.
![Despite being a star of Liverpool and England's youth team, Cassidy never played a game for the club](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82503705-13200597-image-a-4_1710500494526.jpg?resize=634%2C893&ssl=1)
Regardless of being a star of Liverpool and England’s youth staff, Cassidy by no means performed a recreation for the membership
![The young star also attracted attention from England manager Glenn Hoddle](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82504413-13200597-image-a-15_1710501879127.jpg?resize=634%2C435&ssl=1)
The younger star additionally attracted consideration from England supervisor Glenn Hoddle
![Cassidy's former teammates Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher would go on to have glittering careers in football](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82503833-13200597-image-a-8_1710500856192.jpg?resize=634%2C586&ssl=1)
Cassidy’s former teammates Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher would go on to have glittering careers in soccer
![Jamie was arrested in the wake of the law enforcement infiltration of EncroChat, an encrypted communications system favoured by organised criminals](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/81218341-13200597-Jamie_was_arrested_in_the_wake_of_the_law_enforcement_infiltrati-a-2_1710500402127.jpg?resize=634%2C422&ssl=1)
Jamie was arrested within the wake of the regulation enforcement infiltration of EncroChat, an encrypted communications system favoured by organised criminals
![Jamie Cassidy pictured with his Cambridge United teammates. After playing a eight games for the club he drifted into non-league football](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82503679-13200597-image-a-5_1710500555639.jpg?resize=634%2C345&ssl=1)
Jamie Cassidy pictured along with his Cambridge United teammates. After enjoying a eight video games for the membership he drifted into non-league soccer
From the Netherlands the medication can be hidden in modified automobiles and delivered to Liverpool, the place Jamie would distribute it to associates throughout England and Scotland.
The multimillion-pound enterprise concerned a cash laundering operation and the brothers invested in a number of items of property and land in Liverpool.
Jonathan has one massive space of land, close to Jamie’s dwelling, with sufficient water in it he was planning on turning right into a fishing lake, in response to The Occasions.
As an alternative of the glittering soccer profession that his pals and teammates loved, Cassidy is taking a look at an extended jail sentence.
Regardless of becoming a member of the Liverpool Academy aged 12, his profession started to take a downward flip after a collection of accidents.
A severe knee and leg harm robbed him of his tempo and left him struggling as he matured.
Jamie Carragher, who turned a Liverpool defensive legend with 508 first-team appearances from 1996 to 2013 is simply two months youthful than Jamie.
![The manager of the England senior team Glenn Hoddle was so impressed with what he saw he invited Cassidy to spend time with the squad before one match because he was sure he would be a future international](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82503675-13200597-image-a-6_1710500629226.jpg?resize=634%2C995&ssl=1)
The supervisor of the England senior staff Glenn Hoddle was so impressed with what he noticed he invited Cassidy to spend time with the squad earlier than one match as a result of he was positive he can be a future worldwide
![Instead of the glittering football career that his friends and teammates enjoyed, Cassidy is looking at a long prison sentence](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82504409-13200597-image-a-17_1710502012148.jpg?resize=634%2C465&ssl=1)
As an alternative of the glittering soccer profession that his pals and teammates loved, Cassidy is taking a look at an extended jail sentence
![In his 2008 autobiography Carragher said Cassidy would have been a 'would have been a certain Liverpool regular if he hadn't suffered so much with injuries'](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82503845-13200597-In_his_2008_autobiography_Carragher_said_Cassidy_would_have_been-m-10_1710500911109.jpg?resize=634%2C982&ssl=1)
In his 2008 autobiography Carragher stated Cassidy would have been a ‘would have been a sure Liverpool common if he hadn’t suffered a lot with accidents’
![The spectacular fall from grace is thought to have devastated Cassidy](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82503747-13200597-image-a-7_1710500634119.jpg?resize=634%2C851&ssl=1)
The spectacular fall from grace is believed to have devastated Cassidy
![Gerrard also mentions Cassidy in his 2006 autobiography, mentioning his 'pure quality' banter and expressing jealousy at his opportunities to train at the Liverpool training centre as a youngster](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82503847-13200597-image-a-11_1710500922041.jpg?resize=634%2C951&ssl=1)
Gerrard additionally mentions Cassidy in his 2006 autobiography, mentioning his ‘pure high quality’ banter and expressing jealousy at his alternatives to coach on the Liverpool coaching centre as a teenager
In his 2008 autobiography he stated Cassidy would have been a ‘would have been a sure Liverpool common if he hadn’t suffered a lot with accidents’.
Gerrard additionally mentions Cassidy in his 2006 autobiography, mentioning his ‘pure high quality’ banter and expressing jealousy at his alternatives to coach on the Liverpool coaching centre as a teenager.
However Cassidy is much from the one promising younger footballer to have a profession reduce quick on account of accidents.
Nonetheless with a possible promise so big from himself and people round him, the spectacular fall is believed to have devastated him.
Manchester Crown Courtroom will hear on Wednesday how he turned his aggressive drive right into a felony empire.
He was arrested within the wake of the regulation enforcement infiltration of EncroChat, an encrypted communications system favoured by organised criminals.
![Steven Gerrard would go on to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2005](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82503853-13200597-image-a-12_1710500941445.jpg?resize=634%2C421&ssl=1)
Steven Gerrard would go on to raise the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2005
![Carragher has now become a successful Sky Sports pundit. Pictured in April 2020](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82503959-13200597-image-a-14_1710501093244.jpg?resize=634%2C894&ssl=1)
Carragher has now develop into a profitable Sky Sports activities pundit. Pictured in April 2020
![The Cassidy gang with be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday (stock image)](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/15/11/82503995-13200597-image-a-13_1710501086543.jpg?resize=634%2C468&ssl=1)
The Cassidy gang with be sentenced at Manchester Crown Courtroom on Wednesday (inventory picture)
The tip-to-end cellphone community code was cracked by the French intelligence companies in the summertime of 2020, and the data was handed to the UK’s Nationwide Crime Company.
It led to the invention that Cassidy, alongside along with his brother Jonathan and their enterprise associate, Nasar Ahmed, had been working undetected for years.
Authorities found in six weeks alone Jonathan organised offers of 356kg of South American cocaine to return to Amsterdam – value £28 million in UK avenue worth.
The delicate operation concerned the professional motion of cash all over the world – undetected by the authorities.
Jamie was ultimately arrested in October 2020 on the airport after getting back from Dubai.
In his home the police discovered a black machete, an encrypted phone and a Higher Manchester police case abstract of the operation that may result in the gang members’ arrest.
Jamie Cassidy appeared in courtroom by way of video hyperlink final month from HMP Forest Financial institution in Salford to plead responsible to conspiracy to produce class A medicine and conspiracy to launder cash.
Jonathan Cassidy and Nasar Ahmed additionally pleaded to conspiracy to evade the fraudulent prohibition on the importation of sophistication A medicine, conspiracy to produce class A medicine and conspiracy to launder cash.
All three await sentencing.