The Liverpool midfielder said he has come into the pre-season feeling “pretty good” and wants to build on that going into the new season.
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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s pre-season stay in Austria last year was curtailed by an unfortunate injury. It also ruled him out of action for several months. Due to this, the 27-year-old midfielder had very little game time last season. The Englishman said he has come into the pre-season feeling “pretty good” and wants to build on that going into the new season. “I’ve made it past day three this year, so onwards and upwards from here! he joked to Liverpoolfc.com. “Obviously that was unfortunate, what happened there last season. But I was back around the end of November last year [and] I don’t think I really missed a day of training.
“I felt good and I felt strong around the back end of the season. Obviously I didn’t feature as much as I would have liked, but things were happening with the team at the time and the main thing for me was keeping fit and keep building up and to be ready. So I’ve come into this pre-season feeling pretty good and I’m just building on that. I don’t like to think too much of what’s happened in the past, that’s gone. Just live in the present and at the minute I feel good and I’ve just got to keep doing that. But yeah, it’s always nice to make it past day three of pre-season!”
After being involved since day one of this year’s pre-season programme, the 27-year-old wants to make himself ready when the new season begins. When asked if he senses an opportunity to put a marker down in terms of Jurgen Klopp’s selection plans, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replied, “Of course, I think that’s the same for everyone that’s here from the start. I’ve had a lot of pre-seasons in the past where I’ve been one of the later ones to return and you are kind of playing a bit of catch-up and trying to get back in as quick as you can.”
“So we definitely have a nice long period, I’d say, to build back up and get fit. The longer the pre-season, technically by the time the season comes around the fitter you’ll be, so it’s an opportunity for me – just like the rest of the lads that are here – to of course work hard, impress and just put ourselves in the best place individually and as a team to be ready for when the first day of the season comes.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was speaking during their pre-season camp in Austria, has opened up about their trip and training sessions till now. “Yeah, it’s good,” Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain started his assessment of the trip so far. “I mean, pre-season’s never the most enjoyable situation, especially for the first week whilst you get going again. You’re here to work and that’s the main thing. Within there, there’s obviously some sessions which are really enjoyable and then there’s some where you’ve just got to grind and work hard in and get through them to build. So it is what it is in pre-season.
“So far, everything has been spot on for us: training, nutrition, facilities – everything is as good as we can hope for and that’s all you can ask for. You’re lucky to have a pre-season that’s got everything you need, including the physios and all the staff that are working really hard to make it that little bit easier for us. So no, we’ve got no complaints at all. It’s been really good so far.”
