It has been a strong start to pre-season for Harvey Elliott, who has detailed the fitness work that has prepared him for a “prove himself” campaign with Liverpool.
Though pre-season is still in its infancy in terms of minutes on the pitch, Elliott has undoubtedly been one of the standouts for the Reds.
From the off, he was the inspiration against Man United in Thailand, before laying on the first goal of the summer in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace soon after.
The teenager has been deployed as a right winger and in his usual role in midfield, showing the flexibility and creativity that suggest he could play a big role for Liverpool in the season ahead.
Although it is an approach shared throughout the squad, Elliott’s dedication during his time off – which was largely spent in the United States – has steeled him for this early impression.
“I did a bit more in terms of fitness work this summer to ensure I was in the best possible position coming back,” he told The Athletic‘s James Pearce.
“I lost a fair bit of weight in the off-season. I had a target last season, which I reached, and I’ve done it again.”
It is easy to forget that Elliott is still very young, having only turned 19 in April, and these strict diets and conditioning programmes will be relatively new to him.
Last summer, assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders revealed how Mohamed Salah was schooling his youthful team-mate in the canteen at Kirkby, and the No. 19 has clearly taken those lessons with him.
They will hopefully pay off, paired with the immense talent he possesses, as he looks to prove himself all over again.
“I’ve just got to prove myself to the manager and put myself in the best possible position to get minutes,” he continued.
“I’m enjoying my football again and it’s my dream to be able to put on the shirt for this club.”
Last season was, initially, a breakout one for Elliott, only for a fractured ankle to derail his momentum and put him back to square one for this summer.
Thankfully, the teenager does not appear to have lost a step during his time out, with his ongoing progress one of the most exciting features of the friendlies to come.
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