There is a poignant moment in Robbie Fowler’s book, where the one time ‘enfant terrible’ of English football laments the attitude of kids now coming into the game.
Yet, as the legendary Liverpool striker surveys the current crop of Reds recruits working under new boss Brendan Rodgers, he admits the refreshing approach of Raheem Sterling, in particular, has given him real hope for the future of the club he still holds close to his heart.
And Fowler believes that if likely new signings Daniel Sturridge and Thomas Ince follow the example set by the unassuming Sterling, the future looks much brighter for his former team.
For all his many controversies as one of the highest profile players in Premier League history, Fowler was brought up with the “Liverpool Way” - which in his case meant some harsh lessons from coach Ronnie Moran, who had been an ever present during the triumphant Shankly and Paisley eras.
Back then, every Liverpool youngster had it drilled into them that the team was bigger than any individual - and any cocky glory-seekers were brutally brought down to earth.
Yet as he approached the end of his career, Fowler saw a massive change.
“There were kids getting paid millions as teenagers who were only interested in playing for themselves - and arrogant with it, before they’d earned that right,” he says now.
In Sterling, however, a youngster who only turned 18 earlier this month, yet has already played for the full England side and can command a massive salary. Fowler senses something completely different.
“What I’m seeing is that this is a kid who’s had the right attitude drilled into him, and I think that’s a good thing for Liverpool - a big thing,” Fowler says now.
“Sterling has a great talent, but what he also has that makes him stand out is a maturity in his approach to the team’s needs that you rarely see in youngsters. That shows he’d being coached and developed in the right way.
“It’s so easy these days for kids to believe their own publicity. They are treated like superstars, they get massive money even before they’ve done anything, and they don’t have to clean boots or the terraces any more!
“But I watch Raheem and I can see he has respect for the team and for the senior players around him.
"And his decision-making is good - he doesn’t just want to beat players and then shoot to get personal glory.
"I think the manager has to take some credit in that development. He’s still a kid and got a long way to go - he needs to improve his final ball - but Brendan Rodgers has already proved himself as a coach at the top level, and he’s in the right hands.”
Fowler still keeps in regular touch with the club, and it pains him to see them struggling to make even the top four.
Yet he is at least encouraged by the slow progress being made under Rodgers - and the fact that a new sense of team spirit is evident in the approach of the likes of Sterling, Jonjo Shelvey and Suso.
“When I was coming through, you had people like Ronnie Moran who never let you get carried away, and drilled in how you had to be a team to get anywhere,” he explained.
“I remember when I scored five against Fulham in my second game at Anfield - afterwards he told me what I had done wrong! But you need that, because when you have a collection of selfish players only doing it for themselves, it never works.
“I think there’s probably still a long way to go, but Brendan Rodgers seems to have done well with the kids he’s brought in, and it’s good to see them all showing the right attitude and saying the right things.
“I think as well that the players he is looking to sign will have the right mentality as well - and have it drilled into them - which will be good for the club in the long term.”
Rodgers is trying to seal deals to bring in Sturridge in from Chelsea and Ince will make the switch back to his former club from Blackpool, and Fowler reckons they can make a difference if they follow Sterling’s example.
“I know a lot about Thomas, because I played alongside his dad Paul, and he’s got a great attitude - he works incredibly hard and his decision making is excellent for a young player,” he added.
“If the move happens, and I don’t know, working with Brendan Rodgers will help develop him, and I think Liverpool will be getting a very good young player with the perfect attitude to learn and grow.
“For me, he’s the best player in the Championship, a real talent. He has everything, and again, he’s going to the right manager.
“It seems like Sturridge will go to Anfield, I really don’t know. But if he does then he will have to work on his team play, because it is clear that’s what Rodgers demands from his side.
“It could be really good for his game. He’s got a lot of ability, but maybe his awareness hasn’t always been the best. In the right environment he can develop that, and if he gets the goals Liverpool have been lacking he can have a big impact.
“He was a kid when I was at City and back then he stood out as an outstanding natural talent, and with the right guidance you can see him getting a lot of goals.”
As for Fowler, he is an increasingly popular TV pundit, working for the likes of Sky Sports, but he is also studying for his coaching badges and keen to remain in football, given his wealth of experience.
“If the right opportunity came along, then I reckon I could offer something back to the game,” he said with a smile.