Pre-season used to be about getting a squad fit. Managers would take players away and run them into the ground in an attempt to shed the weight they’d gained over the summer break. It’s different these days.  Now, players are expected to return in top condition. Coaches use their time to work on new ideas, bed in new signings and give opportunities to highly-rated youngers. Pre-season is no longer...

Rhian Brewster is in an exclusive club. He’s yet to make his Liverpool debut but already has a Champions League medal – the one he wore to the barbers prior to returning to pre-season.  He may not have influenced proceedings on the pitch but he is a big character off it. The 19-year-old doesn’t look out of place with the stars of the first-team and had it not been for a severe injury he’d have had...

The relationship between the England team and the nation is at an all-time low but the Young Lions have inspired some hope for the future with an unforgettable few months, culminating with the Under-17s winning the World Cup. England’s victory in India, beating Spain 5-2 in the final, builds on the success of victory at the Under-20s World Cup and Under-19 European Championships in the summe...