'I'll tell new lads to show their passion'
The summer signings who make their Liverpool debut at Stoke City this afternoon will head out of the away dressing room with specific words of advice from Gary McAllister.
Brendan Rodgers could hand maiden competitive appearances to a number of players as the Reds start their 2015-16 season at the Britannia Stadium.
First-team coach McAllister, the fan favourite who returned to the club to join the manager’s backroom staff last month, will have a message for them too.
“First impressions are big, certainly for players showing the Liverpool fans,” the Scot told Liverpoolfc.com.
“If you show you’re willing and committed to the team and work yourself into the ground, that covers a lot of things that might go wrong in the game as soon as they see you’re committed.
“That’s what I’ll be telling the new players here – show passion for the shirt.
“I spent my whole life playing against Liverpool and I thought I knew everything about this club, how big it was, the style of play and what’s required.
“But it’s not actually until you arrive at the club that you realise how big it is. Everything’s here, in place, to win things.”
Gary Mac: We'll show passion at Stoke
As he previewed the season opener against the Potters, a semi-permanent smile was etched across McAllister’s face.
He shares the feeling of optimism that fills every supporter as they wait for their team to embark on a new campaign.
“You can feel it,” the former Anfield midfielder said.
“If you don’t get butterflies, there’s something up, because this is what all the training has been about – for this first game.”
Of course, this first game sends Liverpool to the scene of a painful 6-1 defeat that brought an unforgettable end to last season.
And McAllister’s grin turned to grit when the subject arose.
“That game has gone,” he insisted, explaining why the respective mentalities of the new players and those involved in May can combine to good effect.
“I look at the squad and the players and there has been big change, so that game has gone. We’ve looked at Stoke very closely in their pre-season games.
“The guys that were present at the Britannia last season want to put one over on Stoke. I don’t think motivation will be a problem come Sunday.
“We’ve got a freshness to the squad and the team which means we go there, like all Liverpool teams, to win.”