Pre-seasonLFC tour diary: Hugo's Hong Kong hello, intense sessions and a message from Sir Kenny

Hugo’s Hong Kong hello

It was a late night for the Liverpoolfc.com and social media teams on Wednesday as word reached us that Hugo Ekitike was Hong Kong-bound.

The latest new addition to Arne Slot’s squad completed his medical and agreed personal terms in the UK after a deal was agreed with Eintracht Frankfurt for his transfer.

Ekitike then boarded a plane to Asia and we were able to announce his signing in the early hours of Thursday morning local time (2.30am, to be exact).

Don’t worry about us, though – a lovely blend of excitement and caffeine meant we were able to break the news without falling asleep in our hotel work room.

Straight after his arrival at the team hotel on Thursday afternoon, the France U21 international headed to Kai Tak Stadium to watch the Reds’ open training session and meet his new teammates and Slot for the first time.

Intense preparations

With the new Premier League season just three weeks away (and the FA Community Shield to come in a little over a fortnight), the champions’ pre-season preparations are now at full tilt.

Kai Tak Sports Park is Liverpool’s training base this week and the sessions there – conducted in searing heat and high humidity – have been intense, focused and, of course, competitive.

The Reds’ first on-pitch session of the tour on Tuesday morning saw three groups of outfield players rotating between drills led by Slot and Sipke Hulshoff, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Aaron Briggs.

The exercise supervised by Slot and Hulshoff involved two teams of four competing against each other. It was fast-paced and combined pressing, passing diagonally between the lines with speed and precision and finishing.

Wednesday was a double-session day, with the Reds training in the morning and evening, before Thursday’s open training session was watched by thousands of supporters at the stadium where they will face AC Milan on Saturday.

• Watch Liverpool v AC Milan in Hong Kong live on All Red Video

A message from Sir Kenny

Before walking out onto the Kai Tak Stadium pitch, where he was greeted warmly by Slot and the squad, Ekitike sat in the dugout to watch the end of open training.

The new signing shook every staff member’s hand and shared an embrace with Alexis Mac Allister, who also enjoyed a lengthy conversation with one of his predecessors in Liverpool’s midfield, Lucas Leiva.

Ekitike also met two of the club’s greats, Sir Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush, and, before he left the stadium, Dalglish returned to the 23-year-old.

“Hugo, good luck,” said The King, with a smile.