Harvey Elliott interview | Pre-season work, loan benefits and targets
Harvey Elliott is ready to put the benefits of a productive loan spell with Blackburn Rovers into action this season as he targets more minutes for Liverpool’s first team.
The 18-year-old, who signed a new long-term contract with the Reds earlier this month, made more than 40 appearances during a successful season-long stint at Ewood Park, tallying seven goals and 11 assists.
Elliott was back with Jürgen Klopp’s squad for the start of preparations for 2021-22 this week, which got under way in Salzburg on Monday – and he’s aiming to use the time at Liverpool’s Austrian base to stake a claim for more game-time in the forthcoming campaign.
After completing Friday morning’s session, Liverpoolfc.com caught up with the forward to get his thoughts on the first few days of pre-season training and his ambitions for the year ahead…
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On the first days of the Austrian training camp…
Pre-season is always tough, but you can see from the clips that the lads have been flying. Everyone is working hard to get themselves back in form. The technical side of things, the technique, still needs a little bit of improvement I think just to get the rustiness off, but I am sure in no time – the next couple of days – we'll be flying. Training is looking really good.
On how players are spending any downtime…
I think everyone is just sleeping, to be honest! Like I said, pre-season is always hard and when you have time to chill, you just get your head down and rest because you want to be feeling 100 per cent in every session. That’s down to the boys and for myself, I’ve certainly been resting and getting my head down.
On the message to the players about the year ahead…
It’s a big year. We’re a big club wanting to achieve bigger things. The message is the same: just play our way, work hard, be the most hard-working team out there. The talent is there, so it will come. We just need to stay focused, stay patient and I am sure our time will come, I am sure we will get the success again. It’s down to us, really; we just need to work hard, keep trying and keep going at it.
On his excitement at the start of pre-season friendlies…
It’s stages: you can’t wait to get back to training, get all the running out of the way and then it ramps up a little bit. We’re all excited for the games, we’re enjoying every training session and just enjoying being back, really. It’s been a long time away for some of us, so it’s just nice to be back in and around the boys and the coaching staff. The games are going to come thick and fast and we just need to get ourselves ready, but it’s exciting times.
On his target for this season…
I think to get into the team. Last year’s loan spell helped me a lot and I think I need to take the learning from that into this year. It’s not going to come around and be given to me, I need to work hard for it. I am confident in myself, I feel I can get into the team, whether it’s coming off the bench and making an impact. Whatever it is, I am confident in myself. That’s the main goal really; just to be in and around the team and get minutes. Like I keep saying, it’s down to me – I need to show the people I am ready, I need to show the gaffer I am ready, but I am certain I can do it.
On what he gained from his loan spell with Blackburn…
I think it’s just experience, to be honest – getting that vital game-time. I think I played 42 games last season and for a youngster, that’s a lot of games. Knowing how to recover, knowing how to look after my body, knowing what to eat, know what to do on days off. It’s going to be a big season for me this season and I am looking forward to it. I am going to take everything I learned and put it into this season. I can’t wait to get started, I can’t wait to get into the season and see what happens.
On the challenge of getting into the Liverpool first team…
If you look at the team, it is superstars really. All fantastic players, so it is going to be hard but in football you always have challenges and it’s just how you deal with it, how you rise above them and how you better yourself. I am looking forward to the challenge, I am looking forward to the competitiveness and I am looking forward to hopefully getting minutes here and there.