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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Paul Gorst

Revealed: Identity of mystery man in Liverpool training gear singing at squad karaoke

The open mic nights of pre-season have become the stuff of legend at Liverpool in recent years. But move over Daniel Sturridge, Virgil van Dijk and Naby Keita, because there's a new karaoke king at Anfield.

Earlier this week, the club's 31-man contingent gathered at their pre-season base in Austria for the latest event designed to help blow off the steam of the arduous summer workouts, while also further strengthening the bond that exists within the Liverpool squad itself.

And while it has become commonplace for new arrivals to be made to perform an initiation song, the star of the show this year was undoubtedly Yinka Ademuyiwa.

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Yinka, who is a popular member of the backroom staff, wowed the players with a rendition of Vanilla Ice's 'Ice Ice Baby' that had Van Dijk, Keita and Ibrahima Konate all on their feet in appreciation in the front row.

Towards the back Luis Diaz and Kostas Tsimikas could also be seen dancing in the aisles while Harvey Davies and Kaide Gordon showed their support in a more subdued fashion.

It's become something of a pre-season ritual to have players and staff performing at the training camps with Keita and Sturridge teaming up for a rendition of Mario's 'Let Me Love You' in 2018 before Alisson Becker showed off his acoustic guitar skills, but perhaps none have been as universally loved as Yinka's version of the 1990 hit.

The performance was given a standing ovation at the end before the crowd could be heard chanting: 'We want more!'

The Liverpool -born coach, who has worked with the first-team since 2021 as part of the kit coordination team, spoke of his delight at being on the club's staff last month on the Straight From The Off podcast.

"I've got the first team and the 23s, which I am around, and I still can't believe it!" he said. "I'm always in work, even on my days off! [people say to me] 'who goes into work when they're meant to be off!?' But I love it. It's an amazing place.

"We get to play staff five-a-sides, which is just surreal. I remember one [game] and (Claudio) Taffarel was in goal and the ball came across, so I've headed it and put in the top corner, so I was running around like: 'yes!'"

Yinka was also part of the end-of-season parade in late May when the club showcased their FA and Carabao Cups in front of an estimated 750,000 across the city.

"Oh mate! It was an unbelievable day," he added. "Obviously the lads might have been a little bit down because of what happened [in the Champions League final], but what the fans did that day for the players, the staff and the city was unreal.

"When we got on the bus we were coming through Allerton and it was getting busy. People were saying 'wait until we get to West Derby and town (the city centre). I am not sure what the vibe was with the players but I know our city, I know what the fans are like so I knew it'd be amazing but I didn't realise it'd be that amazing!

"When we got the Strand and One Kiss came on...everyone was jumping up and down and I imagined this is what'd be like to be at Glastonbury and looking down from the main stage, I felt like a little star for the day! It was boss!"

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