LIVERPOOL -- Liverpool academy defender Sam Hart says he was given tough introduction to professional football when on loan at Port Vale earlier in the season.
The 20-year-old full-back moved to the League One side on a season-long loan in the summer, making 16 appearances in total before his spell was cut short following a managerial change.
The former Manchester United trainee fell out of favour when Michael Brown replaced Bruno Ribeiro and returned to Liverpool's Kirkby academy in January.
However, Hart believes his brief experience of competitive, first-team action helped him improve and mature him as a player.
"I remember on my first day we did a little possession drill and four players came after me, just trying to kick me," Hart told reporters at Liverpool's academy ahead of the under-23's match against Manchester City on Monday. "They're the games I kind of like -- when it gets a bit scrappy, I like the tackles. I kind of just fitted right into it.
"It's completely different to being here [at Liverpool] -- obviously, the facilities are different, playing with older people with experience that might have played 400 games in the league.
"I used their experience to maybe gain mine. I've come back here a lot more mature and I've learned a lot from playing with them kind of people. When you had a change in manager, it was a difficult period with us sliding down the lead and the [new] manager was looking for experience.
"I just spoke to people at Liverpool and they thought it might be better for me to come back here."
Makeshift defender James Milner currently occupies the left-back spot at Anfield, with the 31-year-old thriving this season in an entirely new position.
During his time at Vale Park, Hart, who made his Liverpool senior debut against Mainz in a preseason friendly this summer, was often required to play as a left winger, and can appreciate Milner's performances from an unaccustomed role.
"That sums up the kind of player he is -- going from a midfielder to a left-back," Hart said of the Reds' vice-captain. "He's obviously got a lot of physical attributes going for himself, but his will to work hard and improve is just what gets him where he is.
"I think he's been unbelievable. He's been great for Liverpool.
"It wasn't too different for me because, as a left-back, I like to bomb on forward anyway. It's a similar kind of thing but you're just playing a little bit higher, receiving the ball in different areas and you've got to be able to score and things like that.
"I enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. It's good to have a different position to put on your CV as well when people are looking.
"The [staff at Liverpool] require you to be able to last 90 minutes, going up and down to support and join the attacks. That's important, you've got to be able to cross the ball, especially in the U23s and the first team where they like the goals coming from wide areas."
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard looks set to receive a promotion by taking charge of an academy side next season.
When Hart would get the opportunity to train at Melwood, he often encountered Gerrard when he was still a player, even then learning from the Champions League-winning midfielder.
"Everyone is really excited -- not just the U18s, but the U23s as well -- to just have him around and for him to share knowledge about the game," Hart said. "He's got a really clear mind of what he wants in a player.
"I heard him in an interview where he said he doesn't like talent, he just wants people to work hard every single day. When we used to go to Melwood when he was a player we used to see him there and he always used to say: 'Hello' and 'How are you?'
"Then he just used to let his football do the talking on the pitch. You used to come back from Melwood to the academy and just think: 'Wow, what a talent'.
"It's a different role for him now as a coach and we've got to learn from him in different ways."