We spoke to former LFC and England star Stephen Warnock, ahead of his visit to Utah next week for the 7 Elite Academy Premier League Player Experience - this is what he had to say.

1 - What will you be doing with 7 Elite Academy in Utah and what parts of the game will you be concentrating on?

I will be assisting the coaches already in place at the academy and trying to pass on my knowledge and advice as and when I can. I will also try and explain to the academy members what it takes to make it at the elite level. I will also try and help the players find their weaknesses and try and help improve them.

2 - What do you know about the standard of youth football in Utah and the overall growth of the game in the United States? How do you think this summer’s World Cup success for US women can help to develop the game in America?

The game in America has been developing for many years now and the quality of the MLS is improving all the time. I’ve heard good things from speaking to the coaches about the standard of players in 7 Elites’ Utah academy.

3 - What are the barriers that players from the United States face if they want to build a career in professional football? How will you be using your own experiences to help them cope with those barriers?

Soccer isn’t the number one sport in the states so trying to get it to be played in schools is not the main priority over NFL or MLB. The players need to go and find clubs that want to play soccer and want to help the players develop.

I will hopefully help them understand the mindset that youngsters need to get to understand what sacrifices need to be made and the commitment they need to have.

4 - What have you seen of how 7 Elite Academy operates, both and off the pitch, and how does it compare to Premier League academies?

The 7 Elite is a very well run academy with all the foundations of what is needed to help players progress and work on their game. The support network in place is key to academy setups and 7 Elite has this.