Liverpool Duo Reflect on Preseason Progress in Hong Kong

Liverpool duo of Andy Robertson and Conor Bradley spoke to the Club’s media team after Thursday evening’s training session at the Kai Tak stadium in Hong Kong about their preparations for next season.

The full-backs have been enjoying the double session training programme since arriving in the Far East on Monday. An open training session was held, which was also streamed live on the Club’s social media platforms for fans across the world to catch a glimpse of the Premier League champions.

New £69m signing, Hugo Ekitike, was introduced to the team after training and was seen shaking hands with every member of the squad as he began his preseason training with the Reds.

As the team made their way off the pitch, Robertson and Bradley were caught by the Liverpoolfc.com cameras and microphones for a brief chat.

Readiness for the Upcoming Season
Robertson:

“We’ve been working hard,” said the No.26. “We’ve obviously been back maybe about two, two-and-a-half weeks now, and it’s just about building up fitness.

“We look good in training, but we need to probably get the game sharpness up still. Bit by bit, we’re getting there. We need to be ready to go, we don’t get long now. We don’t get long off as well, so we don’t lose as much.”

Coping with the Weather in Hong Kong
Robertson:
“With the weather, it’s of course more difficult to run, breathe, and recover, and all that. But when we return to the UK, that should stand us in good stead. I think that’s why we were flying about today, the aircon in the stadium helped. It was a little bit easier than in the morning and yesterday. Two double tough sessions on that pitch when the sun was glaring, maybe we got a bit of sunburn! It’s been really tough, but really good as well. We just need to be ready for the season starting.”

Training Competitiveness
Robertson:
“Clearly, I think we’ve all proven over the years and in our whole careers that we’re all winners. That’s in training as well as games. Maybe people don’t often see it, but as a team [pointing to Jerzy Dudek], these lads trained the same way when they played. You want to win, whether it’s training or whether it’s games. Trying to get into good habits, wanting to win, and having that will to succeed. That will stand us in good stead for the season ahead.”

Shape of the Squad
Bradley:
“Definitely, we’ve brought in quite a lot of new players, which is really good, and it’s given us a lot of strength. Obviously, the players that were already here were very good as well. We just won the league last year. So it’s nice to see, and it makes us better, makes training competitive. It’s really good and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Recoveries After Training Sessions
Bradley:
“I just get straight into my bed to recover and give my body the needed rest (laughs). I probably have a nice bath, get some food, get in bed, and have some nice sleep. Especially when double sessions are so hard, you just want to sleep and recover. It’s been difficult also with the weather temperatures here in Hong Kong, but we’ve really enjoyed it and are looking forward to the game against AC Milan on Saturday.”

Robertson:
“Yes, of course. This time last year, I think I was still in an ankle boot and a knee brace, which was incredibly difficult after the Euros. But the season was a lot better. I worked hard in the close season, and I feel good now, I feel fresh. It’s a bit different from last season, though. It took a bit of time for me to get going because of that. Preseason is so crucial, we all moan about it, we all hate it, but once you get through it and start the season, you feel so much better. I think the older lads are getting the benefits of it after much time off. Everyone is available and fit, which is crucial, and that will be crucial for us throughout the season. I think it starts now.”

How Bradley Has Grown as a First-Team Player
Bradley:
“Definitely, it feels different this year. I still have to fight for a place with Jeremie coming in, but it’s nice and really good. I’ve worked hard on myself during the summer break, and I’ve come back in good shape. I’m looking forward to the start of the season. We can make it memorable.”

Importance of the Senior Players in Helping New Signings Settle
Robertson:
“I think when you look at the four older players or the leaders, with me, Ali [Alisson Becker], Virg [Virgil van Dijk] and Mo [Salah] then we take that upon ourselves to try to let them settle in as easy as possible, try to integrate them into the squad as quickly as possible.

“You know how important that is, especially when they’re coming from different countries, different cultures, and things like that. It’s just about trying to get them up to speed as quickly as possible.

“We take great pride in that. We were all young before, and we’ve all needed help going into squads. We still help the young lads as much as we can. When it is new players, helping them settle in, finding houses, even just getting them settled with their family, because we know how important that is.  it’s so important.

“On the pitch, they kind of look after themselves, they’ve got so much quality and they’re so good. That’s the pleasing thing. Off the field, it’s about making sure they’re not sitting alone, making sure they’re getting to know each other.

“These trips are so important; we’re in the hotel, we’re all away from our families, away from our kids, and it’s important that we spend a lot of time getting to know each other and things like that. And we’ve done a lot of that.

“The lads already have settled in really well. Obviously, Hugo has just come in, so we’ll have our first dinner with him tonight. But Jeremie, Milos, Gio, Flo [Wirtz] have all really settled in quite quickly, and it’s as if they’ve been here for months now, which is pleasing.

“It’s just up to them to then understand the standards of playing with Liverpool, and I think they’re getting to grips with that already.”

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