Wolves captain Conor Coady called for the finger-pointing to stop and everybody to come together after the launch of the #PlayersTogether initiative raising vital funds for the NHS during the coronavirus crisis.

As the country continues to grapple with the awful Covid-19 situation, footballers found themselves in the crossfire and facing accusations over a supposed lack of support.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock called on players to do more and doubled down on that assertion on Sunday, despite news filtering out that top-flight captains were working on a joint fund.

#PlayersTogether was launched on Wednesday, with a flood of social media messages outlining the group’s aims of raising funds for NHS charities and distributing them “where they are needed most” in partnership with NHS Charities Together.

Coady has been working with all other Premier League captains to get the initiative to this point, with the Wolves skipper saying footballers were always going to do their bit during this terrible time.

#PlayersTogether pic.twitter.com/e7uWYIOhL2

— Jordan Henderson (@JHenderson) April 8, 2020

“Footballers are good people,” Coady told the PA news agency.

“There’s lots of good people within football and (this is) something where everybody wants to try and make a difference as much as possible

“Now, we’ve got to that point where we can do that at the minute, so we want to try and help the right people at the right times, to make sure that people are getting the best possible care. It’s a horrible, horrible time we’re in.

“It’s about everybody coming together, not trying to point fingers at certain people within the world and trying to say they’re not doing enough.

“I think it is important we come together. No matter what people do, that we come together because the time we’re in now is absolutely horrible.”

Coady praised “absolutely brilliant” Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson for driving an initiative that has been the works for “quite a while”.

The Wolves captain feels the difficulties in getting the right support and outcomes were perhaps underestimated, with the players knowing it would be stronger if “everybody was doing it and looking in the same direction.”

“We understand, as human beings as well as footballers, how tragic it is at the minute,” Coady said. “It’s a horrible time.

“It was not a hard thing at all. Jordan was brilliant in terms of setting up and taking the initiative and moving forward with it and then getting in contact with everybody.

“As soon as he did, everybody was on board straight away.

“So it’s a brilliant, brilliant thing that he’s set up and something that’ll affect a lot of people.”

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Premier League clubs may be heading for a return to training by mid-May, judging by current projections and a letter sent out to EFL clubs.

Football League sides have been sent a letter by EFL chairman, and former Liverpool chief executive, Rick Parry.

In it, Parry details the prospective plan for a return to action, if social and health measures allow it.

At present, the “working assumption” is that the remaining matches of 2019/20 will be played out behind closed doors across a timespan of 56 days over the summer—and the letter advised clubs not to expect to return to training before 16 May.

Those timescales are dependent on the country lifting lockdown measures when safe to do so, and would vary slightly for the Premier League.

The 56 days includes play-off matches, which aren’t needed in the top flight, which has just nine games to play for the majority of sides.

If that timescale holds true, and the Premier League follow the same approximate plan as the EFL, a two-to-three-week period of training to gear up for the remainder of the season might be expected, with games actually taking place in June and July.

Liverpool need just two more wins to secure the Premier League title, though other eventualities such as relegation and European spots have far longer still to run before outcomes are decided.

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Witnessing one of Anfield's greatest ever nights up close and personal has given Billy Koumetio even more determination to reach the pinnacle of the game.

The Academy defender happened to be allocated the role of ballboy on the night of Liverpool's iconic Champions League comeback over Barcelona last May.

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"It was [blows cheeks]... amazing, unbelievable," he tells Liverpoolfc.com. "I could see the big boys, the big players, in front of me. It was a great experience for me. 

"That drives me a lot. When I was sitting so close to the pitch and saw the big boys, they really inspired me. 

"I was motivated to work really hard and [in order] to go to that level."

As such, Koumetio has now garnered a taste of first-team life. 

Aged 16, the France youth international was included in the matchday squad for the Carabao Cup fourth-round tie with Arsenal at Anfield back in October.

"It was a great day," the now-17-year-old remembers, five months on. "When I knew that I was going to be with the first team, that was, wow... I was shocked. 

"I was happy because I thought it was from my hard work – I had worked really hard. That night, I was more motivated to work harder and harder to get more chances to go there with the best players in the world. 

"[Jürgen Klopp] inspires me a lot. He's quite interested in the players of the Academy. Melwood works closely with the Academy, so that gives players a lot of inspiration."

It was a significant milestone for the centre-back, having not long been at the club. Koumetio arrived at the Kirkby Academy during the 2018-19 season from French side US Orleans.

Born in Lyon, he was part of the youth ranks at Olympique Lyonnais prior to his switch to Orleans.

Already having experienced separation from home and family, Koumetio found his adaptation to life on Merseyside considerably easier. 

As did possessing a strong desire to learn the language and having fellow French-speaking Academy players Yasser Larouci and Abel Rodriquez around to help, too. 

"Before I came to Liverpool I was playing for Orleans," he says in excellent English. "I was there for six months and it's five hours away by car, so I was getting used to being away from my family. So when I came to Liverpool I was quite ready for this. 

"But I live with house parents now and they are very good. They're like my second family, so I feel very good there. I stay in touch every day with my family."

The left-footed Koumetio has been described as a 'real imposing figure at centre-back' by U18s boss Barry Lewtas.  

Lewtas would then highlight Koumetio's desire to defend on the front foot, his ability in possession and traits as a leader in the dressing room.

"On the pitch, I'm competitive, really competitive," Koumetio states. "Off the pitch, I would say I'm a happy person, always happy. I smile all the time, even if things don't go very well. 

"When I used to play for Lyon, I was playing left winger. Then I played left-back, too. I think it was U14s and at the end of the season the coach put me at centre-back – I think because of my height. 

"Now I'm very happy because I think it's my position and it's better for me. 

"I was trying to get my own style but at the moment Virgil van Dijk really inspires me. I go to the game most of the time and I like watching Virgil doing his game very, very well. Sometimes I'm trying to copy him."

Koumetio's progress was halted in November when he sustained an untimely groin injury. But now fit again, he's out to earn further opportunities to train alongside Van Dijk and co. 

He finishes: "I was off for three months. I had an injury in my left groin and have done rehab with the physio and the fitness coaches. 

"I'm ready to play again and I'm happy with that. I will be able to play again and work really hard to train again with the first team."

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Witnessing one of Anfield's greatest ever nights up close and personal has given Billy Koumetio even more determination to reach the pinnacle of the game.

Andy Robertson conducted a fan Q&A via Instagram on Wednesday night and revealed plenty about himself and his Liverpool teammates during the session.

Liverpool duo Naby Keita and Sadio Mane have explained what makes Jurgen Klopp such an important and impressive coach, with his personal approach key to winning the admiration of the pair.

The mutual admiration between the manager and his squad is always clear to see, with the players going to the ends of the earth to produce the performance levels the coach demands.

In turn, he defends them to the hilt, encourages them to be the best they can be and has given them the platform to be successful at the very top of the game.

It takes a special kind of manager to bring all parts of the team together in this way, and the Reds’ African duo have explained exactly why Jurgen’s approach works so well, and which parts particularly won their respect.

“He is somebody that is full of life, he is somebody who makes us all responsible as players, which is very important for a player on the field,” said Mane in an interview with the club magazine.

“He is a coach who knows how to handle you off the field, too. Sometimes he can be hard with his players, but it’s for positive reasons and that’s helped us a lot on the field. It is quite impressive, in fact, if you got to know him to understand all of that.”

Keita agreed that it’s about the approachable and personable nature of Klopp’s own character which is vital, with communication and trust all-important.

“He’s always there to explain things to you, such as if you haven’t played the best in a game, which is hard for coaches to do.

“He communicates with us all equally and that’s what I really like about him. During training he will stop you and give you advice and explanations.

“He is a coach that gives you confidence and he is the motivating factor before a match, but you’ve also got to be motivated on the field.

“He’s always there for his players, he’s almost like a best friend but he’s a coach who can communicate with all his players.”

As well as the message being delivered right, it’s the responsibility and trust that Klopp places in his players which allows the squad to thrive, which isn’t limited to when the whistle blows for kick-off.

“I believe it’s the fact that he makes you responsible on and off the field,” continued Mane.

“I think that football is in the head but then you’ve got to transfer that to the body. He’s always there to be able to give you confidence. Overall for a player it’s all about confidence.”

Keita added that the responsibility and growth Klopp places such emphasis on is part of a player improving, which is always expected at a club like Liverpool.

“That’s coaching and he sees everything. I think I have now improved a lot, apart from my injuries which have kept me out of several matches. He’s somebody who communicates a lot and a coach who explains everything to all his players.”

It’s not just a direct ‘do this’ approach from Jurgen, it’s a complete explanation of how, and importantly, why.

The full buy-in from his players, from the way of playing to the levels of behaviour expected from them, is a core part of how the squad has grown and developed, and it’s clear that the squad respects that approach as much as they benefit from it.

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Andy Robertson took to Instagram to answer fans’ questions on a range of topics and, as usual, the Scot brought his hilarious A-game to the fore with his responses.

The Liverpool left-back is known as one of the most entertaining members of the squad thanks to a brand of cheekiness and non-stop sense of humour.

He’s a hit with the supporters for his character just as much as his ability on the football pitch, and his latest discussion on social media was much the same as usual: open, informative, funny and not afraid to take a sly dig or two at a team-mate!

Answering fans on his Insta story, Robbo covered everything from his sport outside football to the team-mate he’s missing most.

One interesting insight was how much the No. 26 shirt has come to mean to him, despite it not really being a factor when he originally took it at Dundee United, while he also revealed that he was a fair golf player in a couple of answers.

Battered Mars bars—a thing in Scotland and basically nowhere else on the planet—get a mention, while his late header against Aston Villa, an equaliser before the Reds then went and won the game even later on, gets the nod as his goal of the season.

Onto the more team-mate oriented questions, the players at the opposite ends of the scale in the Robbo Awards were Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino; while the Brazilian was picked as most skilful in the squad, his fellow full-back was named worst singer!

The real star though remains James Milner, who is Robertson’s banter king of the squad and who he says—tongue-in-cheek, presumably—is the “first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to bed!”

Proper team-mate goals.

Elsewhere, King Kenny Dalglish gets his all-star Liverpool five-a-side team alongside Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Alan Hansen and Ray Clemence, while Roberto Carlos is the best left-back ever in Robbo’s eyes and when asked where else he’d play if not in that same position, the Scot picks the bench!

We think that’s harsh – there’s always a spot in the side for someone with as much industry, heart and willingness to clout other teams’ star players on the head as our No. 26 has!

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Ferran Torres would make the perfect signing for Liverpool - and would be a cheaper alternative to Jadon Sancho.

That's the view of one La Liga expert as Liverpool look to strengthen in a bid to stay at the top of world football this summer.

Liverpool are widely regarded as the best team in the world right now as they head towards the Premier League title having been crowned world and Europan champions in the last 10 months.

Full story: Mirror

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

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Ferran Torres would make the perfect signing for Liverpool - and would be a cheaper alternative to Jadon Sancho.

That's the view of one La Liga expert as Liverpool look to strengthen in a bid to stay at the top of world football this summer.

Liverpool are widely regarded as the best team in the world right now as they head towards the Premier League title having been crowned world and Europan champions in the last 10 months.

Full story: Mirror

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

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Ferran Torres would make the perfect signing for Liverpool - and would be a cheaper alternative to Jadon Sancho.

Sadio Mane and Naby Keita are in full agreement about the positive impact Jürgen Klopp has had upon their careers.

In an exclusive interview in the latest edition of the monthly Liverpool FC magazine published this week, the pair offer insight into how working with the Reds boss has helped enhance their respective games.

In a snippet from the Q&A, Mane and Keita began by discussing what it’s like to work under Klopp’s tutelage…

Mane: “He is somebody that is full of life, he is somebody who makes us all responsible as players, which is very important for a player on the field. He is a coach who knows how to handle you off the field, too. Sometimes he can be hard with his players, but it’s for positive reasons and that’s helped us a lot on the field. It is quite impressive, in fact, if you got to know him to understand all of that.”

Keita: “Yes, and he will always defend his players because for him all the players are the same. There is no difference to him. He’s always there to explain things to you, such as if you haven’t played the best in a game, which is hard for coaches to do. But that’s a choice he has to make and it helps us fight harder on the training field to push hard so you can be playing at the weekend. He communicates with us all equally and that’s what I really like about him. During training he will stop you and give you advice and explanations…”

Mane: “But if you lose the ball, he can certainly shout ‘Naby! Naby!’”

Keita: “But that’s quite normal and he would also give you the same treatment!”

Mane: “Yes, but I just give this little look [does comic glare].”

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On how Klopp has contributed towards improving them as players, the duo add…

Mane: “I believe it’s the fact that he makes you responsible on and off the field. I think that football is in the head but then you’ve got to transfer that to the body. He’s always there to be able to give you confidence. Overall for a player it’s all about confidence.”

Keita: “Yes, overall he is a coach that gives you confidence and he is the motivating factor before a match, but you’ve also got to be motivated on the field. When you see him on the sideline and you’re on the field, it’s as if he’s playing with you and that gives you a lot of desire to do better. He’s always there for his players, he’s almost like a best friend but he’s a coach who can communicate with all his players. When I arrived I had to try to settle in and be able to integrate with the team. I respect his choices, so I was there to work every day. He is somebody who is able to give you explanations on the field, and that helps a lot and when you play of course you don’t ever doubt yourself. That’s coaching and he sees everything. I think I have now improved a lot, apart from my injuries which have kept me out of several matches. He’s somebody who communicates a lot and a coach who explains everything to all his players.”

The full interview can be read in Issue 93 of the Liverpool FC magazine, available from selected supermarkets and newsagents this week. You can download the digital edition at https://pocketmags.com/liverpool-fc-magazine.

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Sadio Mane and Naby Keita are in full agreement about the positive impact Jürgen Klopp has had upon their careers.

Enjoy a vintage Robbie Fowler goal on the occasion of the Liverpool legend's 45th birthday.

With Aston Villa's Steve Staunton having been bamboozled by his ingenious turn, Fowler thumps a long-range, left-footed drive that is still rising as it whistles into the corner of the Kop-end net.

Goalkeeper Mark Bosnich is rendered helpless by the purity of a strike that put the Reds 2-0 up within the opening five minutes of this game back in March 1996.

Watch a textbook example of Fowler's goalscoring brilliance below.

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Enjoy a vintage Robbie Fowler goal on the occasion of the Liverpool legend's 45th birthday.

As the driving wind pelts icy rain into the windows that overlook the grounds of Melwood, Adrian makes a comparison.

“Liverpool actually reminds me a lot of Seville because you have two big teams in the league – there it’s Real Betis and Sevilla, here it’s Everton and Liverpool – so obviously everyone loves football,” the goalkeeper tells Liverpoolfc.com during a conversation that took place in the warmth of the training ground’s canteen prior to the ongoing suspension of Premier League football.

“It is a football city, every weekend one team is playing here, so it’s nice. It’s a good atmosphere and I really enjoy living here and my family are enjoying it.

“I lived for the last few years in London and then came to Liverpool. Yes, it’s a different city but it’s more like a family for me: the people are more close to each other, they like to talk to you and ask you about this and about that.”

There is one notable difference between Adrian’s hometown and current city of residence, however. 

“Yes! The temperature is different and the sunshine is a bit different as well. But with the people and the feeling between them, it’s quite similar.”

Last summer, Adrian couldn’t have been further away from the freezing Merseyside weather – well, figuratively speaking, at least.

It’s widely known that, having left West Ham United upon the expiry of his contract, the 33-year-old returned to southern Spain.

“I knew I was leaving West Ham and we had some interest from different clubs but nothing on the table, no paperwork to sign, just interest and talking but not anything really close to signing,” he recalls of his final few months at London Stadium.

“We knew we had to wait until the end of the season, I finished my contract on June 30 so we finished the season and started looking for a new club. 

“We had great options to go back to Spain and other options in different countries like Turkey, Mexico and Saudi Arabia, but my feeling inside was like ‘Wait, wait a bit and something big will come’ because I was ready and had enough experience in the Premier League. 

“We had good options but none of them made me full of confidence to sign so we were waiting and after that, as you know, I finished the season and went on holiday with my family. I really enjoyed most of June on holiday, but at the beginning of July I needed to start my own pre-season.

“I was in Seville and I have a great relationship with the goalkeeping coach who used to work with me at Real Betis. He was not working and I called him and said: ‘Listen, I need to get fit and we need to train as hard as possible because one of my options will be signing somewhere and I need to be ready 100 per cent.’

“So we spent that month of July just training by ourselves in the facilities of a third division team from Seville, Union Deportiva Pilas. They opened the facilities just for me, they even gave me a key to train there every day and I was training in the morning, sometimes at night, sometimes in the afternoon, just waiting for a good option to sign.”

Single-minded professionalism, coupled with an unwavering belief that the aforementioned ‘big’ offer would eventually arrive, sustained Adrian during this individual regime.

“I knew someone was going to come with an offer because I spent my last six years at West Ham, then before I played for Real Betis in La Liga,” he continues.

“I performed quite well so I was trusting in my options and it was just about making my body fit, to train as much and as early as possible and obviously to be ready for the moment when I signed.

“Every session that we did there in Seville, we were talking on the phone afterwards with the agents. I had many messages and phone calls talking about the situation and about possible contracts, but I knew that by being ready any opportunity could be my decision so I would be happy. 

“But then the best one came and called me in the beginning of August…”

It was, Adrian recalls, something of a whirlwind. 

“Someone from the club called my agent and she called me straight away,” he recounts. “It was an afternoon when I was at home and she told me: ‘Listen, Liverpool have called me.’

“So, I said ‘OK, let’s listen’ because it was the option I was waiting for, to go to a big club, to get different targets. It was the option I wanted so after that, in 48 hours, we signed everything. I came to London and did a medical and straight away I was here, on August 5.”

Just four days later, when Alisson Becker hurt his calf during Liverpool’s season-opening win over Norwich City at Anfield, the self-imposed dedication of recent weeks meant Adrian was prepared – both mentally and physically – to be thrust back into Premier League action. 

“To be fair, with now having enough time to think about it, that pre-season that I did by myself was probably the best one I did because as I say, I needed to make my body ready. Imagine if I was not fit enough and I needed to play on the Friday?” he wonders.

“It was obviously an unlucky injury for Ali and the goalkeeper’s life is sometimes like this: be ready for the opportunity and I was more than ready for that Friday night, starting my career in Liverpool and showing that I was in a good level and am in the team to try to help us get the biggest target that we have.”

And then? A real-life ‘dream’ in Turkey.

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“To be fair, if I could dream a game before a game, that was it! It was the dream game for me,” Adrian smiles.

“It was my first time in the starting XI for Liverpool, playing in the European Super Cup in Istanbul, in a stadium full of Reds in the crowd. 

“It was a very long game, very warm, the weather was nice but the temperature was really warm. Going to extra-time, to penalties and then to save the last one with my foot. 

“It was like maximum happiness in that moment and I felt like ‘I am here, I am here to help the team 100 per cent and I showed that’. I signed my contract here for that.”

That victory over Chelsea represented the first of 10 consecutive starts in Premier League and Champions League games; nine of which ended with wins if the shootout success at Besiktas Park is included.

Overall, Adrian has made 18 appearances this season, with Alisson’s excellence meaning the Brazilian is established as the Reds’ first-choice goalkeeper.

That fact, though, changes nothing in terms of his deputy’s approach to his day-to-day work.

“I prepare mentally exactly the same as when I am a No.1 because I never feel that I am a second ‘keeper forever, to sit on the bench and just wait and wait and wait and don’t care about playing,” Adrian states.

“I prepare in every session of training like I was starting because that makes me feel ready – for when any opportunities come, I am ready for everything. I never prepare myself to sit on the bench at the weekend.

“Obviously Ali knows he is No.1 and he is doing well. He is a top ‘keeper, one of the best in the world, and all the prizes he has got he deserves because he showed that he deserves them. 

“But I think that the competition is great, the healthy competition between us is better for us because it makes us improve. The comfort zone is not good for anyone anywhere in life – you need to improve every day and keep pushing and keep trying to do the best. 

“I think that healthy competition, that good feeling we have between us is great for us, great for the team and great for the manager.”

Adrian thinks highly of the other members of Liverpool’s senior goalkeeping cohort – which is led by John Achterberg and Jack Robinson – too.

“We spend a lot of time training together. As you know, we have different coaches with John and Jack and we have four of us – Ali, Andy, Caoimhin and me – training hard from the beginning,” he says.

“Goalkeepers, we are a different animal! We train alone for a long part of the session, we share a lot of conversations and opinions about goalkeeping stuff. 

“The goalkeeping position has changed a lot in the last few years. Maybe 20-25 years ago the goalkeeper just had to save all the balls and kick it away but now you have to start playing from the back and play like an outfield player. 

“So we have to be really close to each other and obviously that feeling we have in that moment is great because everyone is pushing by their quality. The feeling between all of us is outstanding.”

And what about the spirit in the squad as a whole?

“It was really easy to adapt to the way the team do things outside the pitch because we have a great dressing room. People can see big names but everyone is a hard worker, no-one feels like he is bigger than the others. That’s the first and most important feeling of the dressing room. 

“I look forward to work every day. I love football, I love to do goalkeeper stuff. To be a goalkeeper you have to love to be in goal, love to dive, it doesn’t matter what the weather is doing – if it’s raining or not, windy or not! 

“Sometimes obviously the weather helps you more than other days but it’s not about the weather, it’s about the mentality to enjoy doing your profession, to enjoy doing this great job. 

“I think it is the best job in the world because we are doing something that we love, and obviously I am still looking for more in training, and to play more games and more seasons.”

It is, then, fair to say Adrian reflects on his choices last summer positively.

“This club has totally exceeded my expectations,” he concludes.

“I think coming here was the perfect decision at the perfect time, to come to the best team in the world right now. I am really happy I took that decision, to have that patience in that moment of the summer and to be here.”

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As the driving wind pelts icy rain into the windows that overlook the grounds of Melwood, Adrian makes a comparison.

There’s always maths involved in football, and we have put together a quiz for the Kop Kids which mixes the love of Liverpool with some education.

From looking at a league table to calculating a player’s total goals over a number of seasons, we often apply maths into football without even knowing it.

And here we’ve looked to make maths a bit more interesting, with Liverpool the central theme throughout.

You’ll need to have some knowledge of the current team’s squad numbers, Premier League games, goals and the trophies the Reds have won—and paper and pencil could prove handy.

Give your brain a maths workout with these 10 questions! MORE ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS:

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