Jay Spearing
Birthdate: 25 November 1988
Birthplace: Wallasey, England
Other clubs: Leicester City (loan 2010),
Bolton Wanderers (loan 2012-13)
Bought from: Local
Signed for LFC: 2004
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Liverpool debut: 09.12.2008
Last appearance: 23.08.2012
Win ratio: 54.55% W: 30 D: 5 L: 20
LFC league games/goals: 30 / 0
Total LFC games/goals: 55 / 0
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Player profile
Jay Spearing was captain of Liverpool's u-18 team which won the second of their successive FA Youth Cups in 2007 and also a key player in the side that won the FA Premier Reserve League title in 2007/08. Spearing finally made his long-awaited debut for Liverpool's first team in the Champions League group match away to PSV Eindhoven 9 December 2008. Another equally brief but impressive substitute appearance came in the same competition against Real Madrid at Anfield three months later. Spearing came on for captain Steven Gerrard with Liverpool already comfortably ahead 3-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate. The little midfielder impressed the crowd with his confidence against the famous Spanish club and although he didn't play for the first team again in 2008/09 it was hardly a surprise when in the middle of July 2009 it was announced that he had agreed a new deal to extend his contract at Anfield.
Spearing started Liverpool's League Cup ties at Leeds and Arsenal as well as at Sunderland in the 'beach-ball' match and made two substitute appearances against Portsmouth and Wolves either side of Christmas but those were his only first-team appearances in 2009/10. On 23 March 2010 he was loaned out to Championship club Leicester City until the end of the season. Spearing played eight times for the Foxes as they reached the play-offs to face Cardiff. The return leg in Wales went to extra-time but Leicester were eventually beaten 4-3 on penalties. The 2010/11 season was something of a breakthrough for Spearing who made 16 starts and four substitute appearances for Liverpool. He gained valuable experience, especially in the Europa League competition, in which he figured eight times. Lucas Leiva's unfortunate injury opened the doors for Spearing in 2011/12 and he was picked to start in 24 matches, eight more than in the previous season. The difference in quality between him and Lucas was though painfully obvious and Spearing became somewhat of a target for the boo-boys. Spearing finally got his hands on a senior winners' medal after being a member of the squad that beat Cardiff City at Wembley in the League Cup final. Following Rodgers' signings of Nuri Sahin (loan) and Joe Allen and the emergence of Jonjo Shelvey it was soon apparent there was little possibility that Spearing would find a place in the first team so in August 2012 he joined Bolton Wanderers in the Championship on a season-long loan.