Skipper's message ahead of Stoke
Liverpool will banish any thoughts of their previous visit to the Britannia Stadium when they start the season at Stoke City this weekend, insists captain Jordan Henderson.
A quirk of the fixture schedule means the Reds begin 2015-16 where they ended the last campaign and suffered the long-lasting frustration of a 6-1 defeat.
The hurt of that result was always going to act as natural motivation, though Henderson now wants the team to put that experience behind them in search of redemption.
"There couldn't be a better place for us to start and put what happened there last season to bed once and for all," said the midfielder.
"The lads who were playing that day will remember it for quite some time. It was a horrible day for everyone involved.
"We have a determination to do better and to improve as a team. We are focusing on the future and that is the first game at Stoke. They are a good team but so are we.
"We will be stronger with the new players that we have got. We are a young team but we have brought in quality. I think the quality we have added will make a big difference.
"We have got a lot of character in the team. What happened there last year will only make us stronger. We have got to put it to bed.
"This is a new season, a new start. I think this is a really exciting time. We are quietly confident but we have just got to make sure that we go there, put in a proper performance and get a good result."
Henderson was part of the side that secured a late 2-0 victory against HJK Helsinki in Finland on Saturday evening.
A wholly different line-up, featuring Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino, then saw off Swindon Town on Sunday to make it five wins out of six in pre-season.
"We feel good in terms of fitness," added the skipper.
"I felt good towards the end of the game and all the lads were the same. We are in a good place. We have been performing well and have got great quality in the team.
"I still think we need to work on a couple of things this week before Stoke but we will go there with a lot of confidence and belief that we can get a good result."