Liverpool
Key Liverpool Players Under the Microscope in Pre-Season Ahead of 2025/26
Six Liverpool players face pressure to impress in pre-season as the 2025/26 Premier League season approaches.
As the 2025/26 Premier League season nears, Liverpool intensify pre-season preparations with a demanding schedule. The defending champions travel to Asia for matches against Milan and Yokohama F. Marinos, followed by a doubleheader against Athletic Club at Anfield on August 4. The journey continues to Wembley for the Community Shield clash with Crystal Palace on August 10.
Alongside these fixtures, the squad has seen significant reinforcement in the transfer market under Arne Slot’s direction. For some, this influx of talent means pre-season performances are vital to secure their places.
Andy Robertson faces considerable pressure after a dip in form last season that prompted the £40 million signing of Milos Kerkez. Robertson, determined not to yield his spot easily, has vowed to fight for his place. “I’m ready to battle for my place in the starting lineup,” he stated. Pre-season will be critical in Slot’s decision for the left-back role.
Wataru Endo’s role diminished last term, with only one Premier League start. Primarily used as an impact substitute, Endo aims to impress for more starting opportunities, especially with Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister heavily utilized.
Harvey Elliott’s limited appearances under Slot—just 28 in all competitions—have left him contemplating his future. Despite this, his outstanding form as Player of the Tournament at the U21 European Championship worked to his advantage in the summer. With Florian Wirtz’s arrival pushing competition higher, Elliott’s pre-season displays are crucial to revitalise his role.
Dominik Szoboszlai, impressive last season with 16 goal contributions, now faces competition from incoming Florian Wirtz. Szoboszlai must demonstrate his versatility, having been used in various roles, to maintain significance in the squad.
Young talent Ben Doak, praised for his bravery and performances on loan and internationally, is reportedly linked with a move away as Liverpool seek to balance their spending. His pre-season performances against strong opposition are pivotal for his future at Anfield.
Darwin Núñez seems likely to depart this summer, yet his pre-season form—scoring in wins over Preston and a hat-trick against Stoke—has offered moments of promise for Slot to consider.
With the Premier League curtain rising on August 15, these six players find themselves at a decisive juncture to impress and define their 2025/26 campaign roles.
Liverpool
Willem II Rename Youth Stand in Honour of Virgil van Dijk
Willem II rename youth main stand the Virgil van Dijk Tribune ahead of the U13s Legacy tournament..
Willem II have given a permanent tribute to one of their academy graduates by renaming the main stand at their youth stadium the Virgil van Dijk Tribune.
Van Dijk’s connection to the Tilburg club runs deep. He spent 11 years within Willem II’s youth setup before joining Groningen in 2010. He never made a senior appearance for Groningen but remains closely tied to his boyhood club.
The renaming coincides with the launch of Virgil’s Legacy Trophy, an Under-13s tournament organised with Van Dijk’s involvement. The competition will bring together the clubs the defender represented during his career, with Liverpool, Southampton, Celtic, Groningen and Willem II among the invited sides. Eleven other teams will also take part at the tournament in Tilburg this September.
On the recognition, Van Dijk said: “It makes me very proud,” Van Dijk said of the tribute . “Willem II has played an important role in my life and in my development as a young player.
“That this is now recognised in this way means a lot to me and my family. It is a very special tribute and I appreciate the warmth and connection I still feel with the club.”
Willem II’s general manager Merijn Goris spoke of the wider purpose behind the gesture: “Virgil means so much to Willem II and to our youth academy. We wanted to give him something lasting.
The new stand name will be visible throughout youth fixtures and serves as a nod to the club’s role in Van Dijk’s early development as the tournament brings young players from the involved clubs together in Tilburg. The move is both a local acknowledgement and a practical celebration of the link between the first steps taken in a club academy and the career that followed for one of the game’s leading centre backs.
Liverpool
David Coote Charged Over Indecent Video After Earlier Dismissal and Officiating Bans
David Coote charged over an indecent video of a child; due in court after Premier League dismissal..
David Coote, the former Premier League referee dismissed in December 2024 after comments about Liverpool and Jürgen Klopp, has been charged with making an indecent video of a child. He was charged on Aug. 12 and is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates Court on Thursday, Sept. 11. Coote has been released from custody on conditional bail.
Coote’s top-flight refereeing career was ended by Professional Game Match Officials Limited after those comments were judged a “serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract.” The Football Association also imposed an eight-week ban in August related to the remarks about Liverpool and Klopp.
Earlier, Coote initially disputed the legitimacy of the video but later admitted it was genuine. In a lengthy interview with The Sun he acknowledged drug abuse and spoke about his struggles with hiding his sexuality. He said that he “didn’t recognise” himself in the video where he called Klopp a derogatory term.
UEFA has already barred Coote from officiating until June 30, 2026. That suspension followed the publication of photographs showing him snorting a white powder, after he had been selected to appear as an assistant VAR official at Euro 2024.
The sequence of sanctions and allegations has removed Coote from match duties at domestic and European levels while criminal procedures proceed. He faces the upcoming magistrates court hearing in September and remains on conditional bail as the legal process continues.
Liverpool
EA FC 26: The Premier League’s Top 26 Rated Players Revealed
EA Sports released the top 26 Premier League player ratings for FC 26, led by Salah and Rodri Online
EA Sports has published the list of the top 26 rated Premier League players in EA FC 26, a list headlined by Mohamed Salah and Rodri. The rankings double as an early look at Ultimate Team walkouts, the in-game term for player items rated 86 or higher.
Liverpool and Arsenal each register seven walkouts in FC 26. The coverage notes summer signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak among those for the league champions. Arsenal’s entries include Saliba, Saka, Rice and Gyökeres. Manchester City record six walkouts, including new goalkeeper Donnarumma, leaving City just behind the two sides that finished above them in the league.
Bruno Fernandes keeps the same overall rating from FC 25 to FC 26 despite a difficult season for Manchester United. Other Premier League clubs with multiple walkouts include Newcastle United and Chelsea.
Mohamed Salah is the highest rated player in the Premier League for EA FC 26 and is also the joint-highest rated Ultimate Team player alongside Kylian Mbappé.
A number of notable players receive downgrades at the start of the year, with Rodri, Haaland and Ødegaard listed among those reduced. Several familiar names are absent from the walkout list this year in the Premier League, including Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Emiliano Martínez. Players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Son Heung-min also miss out on walkouts in FC 26, a situation attributed in the notes to players transferring clubs over the summer.
The EA FC 26 reveal offers an early snapshot of how Ultimate Team will represent Premier League talent this season, and the distribution of walkouts underlines how summer moves and seasonal form have influenced opening ratings.
