Harvey Elliott admits Liverpool ‘selfish’ as ​​big pre-season change explained

Harvey Elliott says he is ready to become one of Arne Slot’s main men at Liverpool, insisting: “I feel it’s my time to really kick on and achieve what I want.” And the 21-year-old believes he needs to “be more selfish” to help him become one of the key players for the new head coach.

Elliott heads into his sixth season as a Reds player, having joined as a 16-year-old from Fulham in 2019 and despite suffering a serious injury at Leeds United in 2021 and spending a campaign on loan with Blackburn Rovers, his first competitive appearance. in a Slot team will be his 120th for the club.

The versatile midfielder started as one of the two ‘No. 10″ in Friday’s 1-0 win over Real Betis in Pittsburgh, becoming a right-sided central midfielder under Jurgen Klopp after breaking through as a winger as a teenager.

Elliott says he is yet to meet with Slot to work out where he will be used most this coming campaign, but the talented England Under-21 star is now ready to embrace more responsibility and seniority, despite he is still one of the youngest in the team. at Anfield.

“I think that’s the next step for me: more responsibility,” Elliott said on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States. “And now I think I’ve kind of cemented my place in the team, I’ve been around for five years and I feel like it’s my time to really hit the ground running and really achieve what I want to achieve.

“And from a club perspective, from a trophy perspective, you know we’re back in the Champions League now and it’s all exciting. So we just have to trust the manager, the set-up and the tactics and when we go out. on the field, make sure we apply it.

“It’s part of my learning and growing up. I’ve captained England U21s a couple of times so those are all things I take with me. This pre-season we’ve got a younger group so I want to be that voice , I want them to come to me if they have anything to talk about or questions. I’ve been there before, I was a young man in a massive team.

“I’ve always had players around me to help me, so I feel it’s my job now to help in any way I can, which is possible. At the same time, they have to go play their football because the club has seen something in the whole world. It deserves to be here. You saw their show last night, it was incredible.

“I think it’s just to make it a bit more about me and maybe be a bit more selfish in some ways, but I’ve got that team spirit in me, I’ll never lose that. I want to play for the team and the badge, I love the club and that will never leave me. But in certain situations I have to think more about myself.

“I’ve got to focus on this season and hit the ground running and it’s up to me to do that now because the pre-season is going to be big. If I don’t perform and train really well, I can’t look at anyone but myself. I’m at an age now where I want to cement my place in the team and I want to play week in week out and like I said, it’s not going to come just for me.

“I think I just have to be myself. We as players are all here for a reason and the club saw something in us. So I just have to make sure I do it on the pitch. Like I said, I have to just being selfish in my own way in what I do and how I do things.

“I’ve just got to put the performances on the pitch and like I said if there’s one person to blame then it’s me and nobody else and I’ve just got to take the opportunity and cement my place in the team.”

Elliott cut his summer break short to ensure he was ready to hit the ground running at the Slot when the players returned to work at the AXA Training Center earlier this month and after a holiday spent visiting friend and DJ of the top, Calvin Harris, in Ushuaia in Ibiza. location and working with Tyler Morton in a training camp, the Reds midfielder says he is eager to get under Slot.

He added: “I came back a week early because I was bored. I just wanted to be around it again. I just wanted to meet the gaffer, meet the staff and not get an advance but get back into the swing of things because I knew this pre-season was going to be intense and I wanted to be in the best possible position. You can have so many breaks, but I felt it was the right time to come back.

“Calvin Harris was great! I’ve been to see him a few times. Since the Open Bus Parade (2022) he’s been a close friend and I’ve always kept in touch and always wanted to show my support for that he did it for us. It was nice to relax, I went with one of my close friends, Tyler, we had a workout together and we pushed each other to get in the best shape possible , but I felt like I was done and half bored myself, so I just wanted to go back.

“I think this pre-season is just weird because there are so many people away and we’re trying new things, new formations. Wherever I put myself on the pitch, I’m happy, I just want to go out and put my shirt on. and I go out and play This time (against Betis) it was from the left side and the next game I’m not sure what the plan will be, but I’m happy to go and play anywhere”.