Liverpool officially returned to pre-season training this week as a fresh era started under new head coach Andoni Iraola. Preparations for the forthcoming campaign will be ramped up on Monday when the squad flies out to Chicago to begin their US tour, during which they play games against Sunderland, Leeds United and Wrexham. The majority of the World Cup contingent are expected to join up in the States at some point to give Iraola a first real glimpse of the personnel at his disposal, with Liverpool still anticipating plenty of business in the transfer market.
Youngsters Poised to Shine
According to Liverpool Echo chief correspondent Ian Doyle, Iraola may well be the head coach to extract even more from some of the more up-and-coming players of the squad such as Trey Nyoni and, in particular, Rio Ngumoha. Doyle noted that Iraola has a track record of putting his faith in younger players, as was demonstrated at Bournemouth where, whether it be at centre-back with Dean Huijsen, in midfield with Alex Scott or in attack with Junior Kroupi and Rayan, he is more than happy to give inexperienced options a chance.
Ngumoha has already shown himself capable at club and international level and, still only 17, has plenty of scope for improvement. Doyle believes Iraola can be the man to help encourage that development.
Kerkez Reunited with Former Boss
Liverpool Echo head of sport Paul Wheelock highlighted that if there's one player in the Liverpool squad who will be delighted that Andoni Iraola is the club's new head coach, then it's the one player who has played under him before: Milos Kerkez. Wheelock noted that while there were mitigating circumstances as to why Arne Slot's second and final season in charge at Anfield disappointed, it is fair to say Slot did not get the best out of Kerkez.
The Hungary international is still only 22 and enjoyed a better second half to the 2025-26 campaign than the first. However, as the end-of-season player ratings show, only three players — Alexis Mac Allister (5.93), Federico Chiesa (5.76) and Alexander Isak (5.65) — had a lower average mark than Kerkez (6.05). Kerkez did not look the same player that the Reds paid Bournemouth £40m for last summer after he was named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
Playing all 38 matches for the Cherries across the 2024-25 campaign, and contributing two goals and five assists, the best of which was his breath-taking run and cross for Marcus Tavernier to score at Tottenham Hotspur, Kerkez was central to Iraola's full-throttle football. Wheelock concluded that there's no reason why he can't be again at Liverpool, now he's back under his old boss.
