JAMIE CARRAGHER has praised the character of Stephen Darby for bouncing back from his bittersweet debut – but believes the influx of foreign youngsters into the Premier League makes it more difficult than ever for homegrown talent to break through.

Darby was man-of-the-match on only his second senior start for Liverpool in their 1-1 FA Cup third round draw at Reading at the weekend.

The 21-year-old made his full debut last month in the Champions League dead rubber with Fiorentina at Anfield, after three previous substitute appearances.

However, an encouraging display against the Italians ended on a low note with a mistake that let in Alberto Gilardino to net an injury-time winner for the visitors.

But Carragher believes right-back Darby made the most of his opportunity after being given another first-team chance on Saturday.

“I thought Stephen was outstanding, not just in terms of his performance but his character too,” said the 31-year-old. “He got a little bit of criticism in his last game against Fiorentina, he made a mistake at the very end but he had played very well.

“It’s not just about playing the game, it’s also about showing character when you play for Liverpool. And the character he showed on Saturday was superb and I’m made up for the lad. He’s a great professional, a good lad and the type of lad you want to do well.

“I’m pleased he got another chance. I didn’t want him to not get another game after what happened against Fiorentina, but I told him that if he took what happened at the end away, then he was one of our best players on the night. He didn’t have a bad game, he made a bad mistake, and there is a difference there.

“He showed real character to come out and do well in a tough game where as a team we didn’t play particularly well.”

Like Darby, Carragher is a product of Liverpool’s youth system, but reckons the global pull of the Premier League and the demands of instant success in the first team are considerable obstacles for local hopefuls to overcome.