Your Liverpool morning digest on Tuesday, 5 July
Throwing up and beating James Milner - inside the 'terrible day one' of Liverpool training
It doesn't seem that long ago that Liverpool were still dancing around Wembley with the FA Cup before heading onto Paris, but pre-season training already returns today.
In total, 19 of Jurgen Klopp's squad will return to the AXA Training Centre to begin preparations for a new Premier League, with players who were involved in international matches to join up later in the week. Naturally, the Reds will want to be peak condition by the time the season gets underway so they can expect to be put through their paces straight away this week.
And tested to the limit they will be, as the squad braces itself to take on one of Liverpool's most gruelling exercises - the lactate test. This notorious programme measures the player's aerobic endurance as participants are asked to run a series of increasing distances at great speeds. At the end of each checkpoint a sample of blood is taken from each player's ear to measure their lactic acid level. If the level is too high, they must drop out until there is only one player left.
READ MORE: Former Liverpool youngster shot and arrested in training dreams of return to boyhood club
READ MORE: Didi Hamann fires back at Gary Neville over Mohamed Salah claim
Despite being the oldest member of the squad, midfielder James Milner is a previous winner of the Lactate test, however it is not plain sailing for everyone, as Andy Robertson found out to his cost on his first day training as a Liverpool player. The Scotland captain moved to the Reds from Hull City in 2017 and immediately began pre-season training in July of that year after completing an £8million switch.
Richard Garnett has the full story HERE
'He made the move' - Neymar sent blunt Liverpool transfer message amid Chelsea links
Former Reds midfielder Don Hutchison believes only Lionel Messi is 'better' than Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar, but teams like Liverpool won't want to sign him.
The Brazilian moved to the Ligue 1 giants in 2017 but the world's most expensive player could be on the move this summer. A report from ESPN claims PSG would have made the 30-year-old available on loan on a permanent move in order to offload his huge wages.
However, there is an 'absence' of a suitable destination for the star given the financial implications of any potential deal and Hutchison has highlighted teams such as Liverpool 'won't want him'.
He told ESPN: “I think he must put his head on the pillow every night and think ‘why on earth did I make that move when I was flying at Barcelona, with Messi and Suarez, to go to PSG?’ No disrespect to PSG. I read all the headlines back in the day. He wanted to be out of Messi’s shadow and win a Ballon d’Or. But it never felt like the right move.
“He was flying, at his peak and he was nearly untouchable. Then he made the move. He has had some horrendous ankle operations and long-term injuries he has struggled to come back from. He likes a bit of lifestyle away. I see any move that happens for Neymar, as probably a few years down the line. Then it will be a test to see where he wants to play and it might be Brazil. Go back to Brazil. Go and play for the love of the game.
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Didi Hamann fires back at Gary Neville over Mohamed Salah claim
