Flanagan: I want to be super fit for the new season
Jon Flanagan has revealed his plans to make the most of pre-season as Liverpool kick off their series of warm-up fixtures with a trip to Tranmere Rovers tonight.
The local friendly is the first of nine for Jürgen Klopp's men in the coming weeks and can be watched live and in full on LFCTV and LFCTV GO from 6.30pm BST - click here for more details.
For Flanagan, the game is the latest opportunity to show the manager why he deserves to be part of the side, having returned from long-term injury midway through last season.
The Scouser's comeback arrived after almost two years out and his condition and match fitness was therefore monitored carefully, meaning just a handful of further appearances.
But Flanagan wants that to change this time around and was at Melwood earlier than most this summer to build up sharpness ahead of the new campaign.
The full-back told the Liverpool Echo: “I was in here over the summer either side of my holiday to do some sessions with the physios and the fitness coaches.
“It was all about trying to get a bit of a head start really. It was Joe Gomez, Danny Ings and myself. This is going to be a big season both for the club and for me personally. The extra sessions have got to benefit me.
“Hopefully I can get super fit and stay like that for the season. I haven’t had a proper pre-season since 2013. I haven’t been able to do much on either of the last two tours. I want this pre-season to be different.
“It was great to get back in the second half of last season but I wasn’t 100 per cent match fit after so long out.
“Although it was frustrating for me not to be in the squad on matchdays towards the end of last season, looking back now maybe it was the right decision. Now I feel great and things are going well.
“The knee is perfect. I haven’t missed a single session so far and it’s all good. Hopefully it carries on like that.”
The first week of pre-season training has also afforded Flanagan the opportunity to meet the club’s four newest recruits – Marko Grujic, Loris Karius, Sadio Mane and Joel Matip.
He already knew plenty about one particular member of the quartet of summer arrivals, but believes they have all eased into Melwood life without issue so far.
“[Mane] has pace and power, and he’s a great finisher as well,” the defender added. “I’ve seen it already in training this week. He’s a top-class player and I think he’s going to be a great asset for us this season.
“They are all good lads who are settling in well. Matip is a big lad who is great on the ball. They all seem top players.
“We can’t dwell on what happened at the end of last season. We have to put that behind us and crack on. The signings can help us have a better season in the league and a couple of good runs in the cups.”