Liverpool Football Club have today confirmed that they will begin their pre-season programme with a friendly at Preston North End on Saturday, July 13.

The fixture, which will be played at Deepdale with kick-off at 3pm BST, will be covered as usual across all LFC media, with live streaming available on the club's official website for LFC TV Online subscribers.

The match will bring together two north-west clubs with a shared bond - the iconic Bill Shankly.

As Liverpool manager, the inspirational Scot created one of football's greatest and most successful dynasties at Anfield.

The man from Glenbuck is revered at Preston too, having spent the vast majority of his playing career with the Lancashire outfit across 16 years.

This friendly match will provide both sets of supporters with an opportunity to celebrate the life and career of Shankly, in the same year in which the 100th anniversary of his birth will be marked.

The two sides last met in an FA Cup third-round clash in January 2009; Albert Riera and Fernando Torres struck the goals in a 2-0 away victory for the Reds.

Liverpool will play at Deepdale just days before they start their pre-season tour in Jakarta (July 20), Melbourne (July 24), Bangkok (July 28), Valerenga (August 7) and Dublin (August 10).

The Reds will also play Olympiacos in Steven Gerrard's testimonial match at home on August 3.

Ticket information will be released in the coming days and fans should stay logged on to Liverpoolfc.com for further details.

The Liverpool FC Foundation will also mark the centenary of Shankly's birth with a unique charity bike ride in August - click here for more details>>

As well as watching the Reds in pre-season action, this summer LFC TV Online subscribers are enjoying our  new 100 Players Who Shook The Kop countdown, with exclusive videos on every player voted in by you. Sign up now to enjoy exclusive access to our countdown>>