LFC Women'It's about living up to the expectations here every day'

The Austria international midfielder is one of six new faces within Matt Beard’s squad as they build up to the start of 2023-24 on October 1.

For the current phase of their preparations, the Reds are in France to compete in the AMOS Women’s French Cup, with a semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain Feminine in store this evening.

And speaking to Liverpoolfc.com at the tournament base, Höbinger detailed just how much she is already enjoying life with the club and the demands that come with it.

“I really feel great in the team and the girls are amazing and everyone’s really nice,” said the No.14. “The first weeks of pre-season were really good.

“We have been training with a real intensity, doing a lot of shape work, which is quite new for me. It has been challenging but also good for me to get used to this way of working. I feel very good and it’s fun.

“I think the trip [to France] is perfect for team bonding. I can tell I feel more confident now and to have more time with the girls will help a lot to get to know everyone better off the pitch as the week progresses.

“It’s nice to have some time away from normal surroundings as we prepare for the WSL.”

Liverpool tackle PSG to begin the AMOS Women’s French Cup in an 8pm BST kick-off at Stade Michel Bendichou in Colomiers tonight.

AC Milan and Atletico Madrid meet in the other tie, with a final and third-place play-off to follow for the teams on Thursday.

“I think it's great to have international friendlies in pre-season,” said Höbinger. “I think it’s going to be a good test, but also a really hard one.

“They have a really good team with a lot of great players who have also been at the World Cup. It’s going be a great opponent for us to test out all the things that we’ve been working on.”

Upon completing her transfer to the Reds from FC Zurich Frauen in July, Höbinger cited the chance to work with Beard as an important factor in choosing the club.

And she detailed why her expectations of how the LFC Women boss could help her progress on and off the pitch have proven to be the reality so far.

“I really like the way we train and the high expectations he has on us in every single training session,” added the 22-year-old.

“He has really high standards and it’s living up to the expectations every day, but most importantly it will help the team develop and I feel we have made good progress in pre-season so far towards where we want to be.

“He makes everyone feel welcomed and that also helped in the first few weeks for me to settle and feel comfortable.

“He wants us to express ourselves in training and that really helps me to be brave and try stuff. He trusts us on the pitch and I think that’s good for us to express ourselves and have fun in sessions.”