“Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman the best players I have played against” – Liam Grimshaw

Liam Grimshaw may be a rare goalscorer but he netted twice in the Nike Academy Cup at the weekend. The versatile midfielder sat down recently with Inside United to discuss his campaign…

You’ve managed to force your way into the Under-21 side and were probably Man of the Match in the draw with Everton. Was it one of your best games for the club?
I enjoyed it! It’s good to be back playing as it can be hard when you come in for one match but then miss a couple. We haven’t had that many Under-21 games but we’re playing more regularly now and, if I can get a run of games, it will help my confidence. It’s been good and I hope I can keep doing well.

Your role has been as a shield in front of the defence. Is that likely to be a fixed role for you?
Hopefully, but I don’t really know. I can get forward as well. It’s important to have one position but I think it’s important to be able to play other positions. In the midfield, you’ve got to keep going in there and do the job you have been asked to do. The thing is you’ve got to be able to pass the ball, especially at a club like this, because a lot of lads are fit and can run around frustrating everyone, but you’ve got to be able to do a bit with the ball as well.

Are Everton’s Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman the best players you have played against?
Yes, they probably would be. We’ve had a few friendlies behind closed doors and the odd first-team player has taken part in those but both are such good pros. They were working hard. They wanted to win and were putting their foot in and providing a good test that we all need.

How important is it to be able to judge yourself against this level of opponent?
It’s definitely important. If you want to be in the top flight, it is who you are going to be playing against and it’s best to come up against people like that.

In midfield, do you feel like you’re having more of an influence on the proceedings?
Definitely. It sometimes feels when you’re at the back that you’re not involved in games. You’ve still got a job to do and it can affect games negatively in that role if you don’t do them. However, in that midfield role, you’re central to the game and there is no messing around with it at all. It’s very full-on all the time and you have got to be there in that midfield area.

The matches have been very intense of late – is it because everybody on both sides is champing at the bit and desperate to impress?
Well, we are really fit because we train hard all week. Our training is all high intensity and we go in the gym a lot too because they put on good sessions for us. It’s down to you as an individual to do that if you really want to improve.

Warren has said you’ve analysed sprinters – is that part of your training?
We are doing stuff like that, lots of little sprints, and we have taken our lead from all different types of athletes. Sprinters for sure but also the long-jumper Greg Rutherford. We’re looking at what they do and are trying to adapt it into what we do and taking little bits from each athlete. It’s massively scientific now. We’re usually our strongest in the last 20 minutes of games when other teams can look a bit weary. We always keep going until the end and that’s a big part of our matches because we can make it count in the last half-an-hour.

What would it mean to you to win the Under-21 Premier League?
I was involved a little bit when we last won the league. I was an 18-year-old second-year scholar and got on the bench a couple of times but it’s not the same as playing a lot of games. I’d love to win it, definitely, and look forward to playing at Old Trafford again because it’s such a massive thing – you’ve got to give it absolutely everything there.

You come from a footballing background – how proud are your family of your progress?
My uncle played a lot of games for Accrington Stanley. My dad played a bit for Blackburn Reserves but not at the top level. All my family have played football. They’re enjoying seeing me do well and obviously put a lot of effort in terms of bringing me to games since I was little. We’ve been sat in traffic on the motorway for hours and it’s all thanks to them really.

Finally, how much do you appreciate being able to push on here?
Of course, it’s massive for me because I’m at the biggest club in the world. I’ve just got to keep going, you never know what will happen and we’ll see where it takes me.