John Achterberg, Liverpool's long-serving head of goalkeeping, will follow Jurgen Klopp and other backroom staff members out of the door in the summer

Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg will bring a 15-year stay at the club to a close at the end of the season.

The Dutchman’s contract expires this summer and This Is Anfield understands he has elected to take on a new challenge elsewhere.

Achterberg is thought to have offers from a number of clubs, though it is currently unclear where he is likely to end up.

The news gives incoming head coach Arne Slot another big decision to make regarding the composition of his backroom staff.

Slot’s team is currently expected to comprise of assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff, head of performance Ruben Peeters and analyst Etienne Reijnen.

It remains to be seen what Achterberg’s decision means for the rest of Liverpool’s goalkeeper coaches, Jack Robinson and Claudio Taffarel.

Liverpool’s longest-serving coach departs

Achterberg has been part of Liverpool’s staff since 2009, when he joined as an academy goalkeeping coach following the end of his playing career at Tranmere.

He was swiftly promoted to the first-team setup and remained there despite a slew of managerial changes with Rafa Benitez, Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish, Brendan Rodgers and then Klopp.

The 52-year-old was most recently promoted to the role of head of goalkeeping, with Robinson and Taffarel working alongside him.

A native Dutchman, there had been an expectation among fans that Achterberg would perhaps be one of the few high-profile staff members who elected to stay as part of Slot’s backroom.

Now Liverpool face the task of replacing a figure with not only vast experience and knowledge of his field, but also that of the club itself.

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Though rules are unlikely to permit live VAR audio to be broadcast in stadiums, there is a belief that Premier League referees can explain their decisions.

That could come into effect as early as next season, with PGMOL chief Howard Webb suggesting that referees could address fans live when consulting the pitchside monitor.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Match Officials: Mic’d Up, Webb said the refereeing group would be “keeping an open mind” over changes.

“One of the things you’ll have seen maybe in FIFA tournaments, like the Women’s World Cup, is announcements from the referee once they’ve been to the screen,” he explained.

“So we’re looking at that, we’re keeping an open mind about whether that’s something we could utilise in the Premier League.”

This would go to some length to ease the growing frustration among clubs, players and fans over a drop in standards in refereeing in recent years.

However, that it would only be permitted – due to IFAB rules, not those of PGMOL themselves – when referees went to the pitchside monitor shows it will only solve a small issue.

It is rare that officials are referred to the monitor, with lengthy VAR calls more often than not only communicated via the referee’s headset.

• READ: VAR audio of Everton vs. Forest penalty farce reveals more issues with referees

In fact, there is a consensus that, when referees are sent to the monitor to make their own check, the decision is already made and the initial on-field call will be overturned.

That may render live announcements less useful than hoped, with fans still left to await the occasions in which VAR audio is released by PGMOL themselves.

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Those instances are typically reserved for Webb’s visits to Sky Sports, where he analyses various decisions in a pre-taped show alongside Michael Owen.

His most recent appearance came on Tuesday, as VAR audio was broadcast for one of three penalty shouts during Nottingham Forest‘s 2-0 loss to Everton.

A week-and-a-half on from the incident, and with Forest having already dropped three points at Goodison Park, the verdict that VAR Stuart Attwell made an error in judging Ashley Young’s foul on Callum Hudson-Odoi not worthy of a penalty is little help.

Nevertheless, any progress made in clearing up lines between those paying to watch the game and those paid to officiate should at least be considered positive.

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John Achterberg will leave Liverpool at the end of the season after 15 years of service.

Achterberg’s contract expires this summer and he intends to embark on a new challenge following the end of the Jurgen Klopp era, meaning the goalkeeping coach will not be part of the backroom staff under incoming head coach Arne Slot.

He initially joined the club’s academy staff in 2009 before being promoted to the role of first-team goalkeeping coach by Kenny Dalglish in 2011. The 52-year-old Dutchman’s services were retained by Brendan Rodgers and Klopp.

A popular figure with both players and staff, Achterberg has been described by Klopp as “a goalkeeping maniac” with the Liverpool boss praising his encyclopedic knowledge of shot-stoppers across the world.

It was Achterberg who identified Alisson as the perfect signing when Liverpool were in the market for a new No 1 in 2018.

The Brazilian has proved to be a big success at Anfield since completing a £65 million move from Roma and he has credited Achterberg for playing a crucial role in his development. “John has proved to be not just a great goalkeeping coach but a great guy,” Alisson said. “We learn from each other’s work. He’s loved by all here.”

GO DEEPER

What I learnt meeting Arne Slot: charismatic, innovative - but a big bet by Liverpool

(Lynne Cameron/Getty Images)

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John Achterberg will leave Liverpool at the end of the season after 15 years of service. Achterberg’s contract expires this summer and he intends to embark on a new challenge following the end of the Jurgen Klopp era, meaning the goalkeeping coach will not be part of the backroom staff under...

West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has claimed what is being said about Liverpool altercation between Jurgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah

West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has claimed what is being said about Liverpool altercation between Jurgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah

The former striker followed in his dad's footsteps to forge a career in the game

The former striker followed in his dad's footsteps to forge a career in the game

Arne Slot faces a huge summer as he prepares to take charge of Liverpool. A deal for the Feyenoord boss is expected to be confirmed soon, with the 45-year-old taking over from Jürgen Klopp.

With Richard Hughes also arriving as the club’s new sporting director, there will be a big emphasis on continuing the rebuild that began last summer in midfield. Although the Reds have shown a marked improvement on last season, recent weeks have shown there is still work to do before they can truly challenge Manchester City and Arsenal for the Premier League title.

Defense would appear to be the priority, especially with Joël Matip set to depart this summer. There could also be room to build amid Liverpool’s front three.

READ MORE: New Jürgen Klopp role 'discussed' ahead of Liverpool exit with emotional connection

READ MORE: 'Be careful' - Arne Slot urged to avoid Real Madrid transfer repeat as Liverpool boss

Doubts have been expressed about the Reds’ attacking options as they’ve misfired in recent games, leading to their hopes of a quadruple disintegrating. Mohamed Salah’s future has been called into question, particularly after his recent outburst, although the Egyptian could well stay put for another year.

So if Salah is staying, could some of the other attacking options be in danger? Jamie Carragher certainly thinks so, suggesting Luis Díaz’s place could be under threat.

“I’d be really interested in the summer,” Carragher told The Overlap last month. “With Liverpool getting a new manager, would that be a position that Liverpool could look at in the summer? Wide left. I think Díaz is good, I don’t think he’s great.”

It’s not the only time the former defender has suggested Díaz’s place could be under threat. Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast back in December, Carragher also had a warning for Cody Gakpo.

Speaking after the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, he said: "Looking at Liverpool's front three, there's something not quite right about it and for me, (Darwin) Núñez starts on the bench, for me he has to be one of the first names on the team sheet. I saw him in midweek (against West Ham) and although he didn't score, he's creating, he can do something, Gakpo has been here for close to 12 months and he's had flashes but nowhere near enough.

"Díaz just looks like a shadow of himself, the knee injuries last season, he had family problems this season, but I feel Díaz needs a big second half of the season or Liverpool will be going in the market in the summer.

"With (Sadio) Mané and (Roberto) Firmino going they haven't really replaced them in terms of quality, we're almost making excuses for him (Núñez). But what Liverpool have still got in the front three is Mo Salah as your number one, Núñez is your number two then it's who else in the front three."

Liverpool.com says: Díaz has probably been the one option in the attacking quarters that has retained some kind of form recently. Even then though, he hasn’t really produced the results you’d expect from one of Liverpool’s forwards.

Perhaps if his teammates were firing we might have seen more, but there is no getting away from the fact it’s been a downgrade since Mané’s departure. He isn’t the only one though who has been underperforming, and Núñez and Gakpo’s places have to be looked at as well.

Given the options in attack, it might not appear to be an immediate priority for Liverpool, but it’s certainly an area Slot should be looking at when he arrives. Another option to provide some competition could be just what the Reds need to be firing again.

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Liverpool are expected to target a new winger in the summer transfer window, which could prompt further speculation over the future of Luis Diaz.

Though sporting director Richard Hughes, his assistant David Woodfine and Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards are yet to officially start their roles, work is already underway for the summer.

With Arne Slot poised to take over as new head coach, the focus will now be on identifying and pursuing players to add to the Dutchman’s squad.

According to David Ornstein, speaking on The Athletic FC Podcast, that includes targeting a new “wide player” to add to a forward line that is expected to still include Mo Salah.

“I’ve heard from multiple contacts”

Ornstein explained that “multiple contacts” have divulged Liverpool’s interest in another forward, before speculating that this could be to replace Diaz.

“I’ve heard from multiple contacts that they’re looking for a wide player,” he said.

“Now I don’t know if that’s to add to what they’ve already got. Is it because there’s been speculation around the future of Luis Diaz, who is yet to sign a new contract?

“That’s quite unusual for a player who’s done so well. He’s been linked with moves elsewhere, let’s wait and see on that.”

Liverpool have already been linked with a number of forwards ahead of the summer transfer window, perhaps most notably Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville.

Summerville, 22, has scored 20 goals and laid on 10 assists in 45 games for Leeds this season, with the majority of his appearances coming on the left.

It has been claimed that Slot is a big admirer of his fellow Dutchman, while he seems to resemble the profile of player Liverpool’s recruitment team would earmark.

Who else are Liverpool interested in?

Other forwards Liverpool have been linked with include:

• Nico Williams (Athletic Club) – 21, LW
• Johan Bakayoko (PSV Eindhoven) – 21, RW
• Michael Olise (Crystal Palace) – 22, RW
• Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) – 22, RW
• Mohammed Kudus (West Ham) – 23, RW/LW
• Keito Nakamura (Reims) – 23, LW

Diaz has been touted with moves to either Paris Saint-Germain or Barcelona, though it remains to be seen whether either would make a concrete approach for the Colombian.

The talk over his contract seems strange, given Diaz only joined at the start of 2022, his terms run to 2027 and there has been obvious change required off the pitch before such matters are addressed.

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Sven-Goran Eriksson has paid tribute to supporters who raised close to £1.2 million for the LFC Foundation at last month’s LFC Legends charity fundraiser at Anfield.

The figure is the highest total ever raised for a single Legends match, with 100 percent of the funds going directly to the club’s official charity to support the work it does in the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

This year’s Legends clash saw former Reds favourites take on an Ajax Legends side in front of a sold-out Anfield, with almost 60,000 supporters attending, the largest ever crowd.

The Reds were led by a management team of LFC legends and former England boss and Liverpool fan Sven-Goran Eriksson, who realised a lifelong dream to lead out his boyhood team in front of a packed stadium.

The Swede paid tribute to the club’s supporters for coming together to help raise such an incredible amount of money for such a good cause.

He said: “It was an incredible day and something I will never forget, and to know that the occasion helped to raise so much for the LFC Foundation makes it even more special for me.

“It is an unbelievable amount of money that has been raised for the LFC Foundation, everybody knows how special the LFC family is and everyone has come together again here to help to raise so much for a fantastic cause, which will help so many people in the city and beyond.

“I learnt a lot about the work of the LFC Foundation while in Liverpool for the game and the work that they do is absolutely fantastic.”

Funds raised from the game will help support the ongoing work of the LFC Foundation in the Liverpool City Region and beyond, with a large proportion of the money going towards their education programmes.

LFC Foundation currently work with over 120 schools across the region through a variety of programmes which help to keep more children in education, while teaching them life skills and tackling a number of social issues such as involvement in gangs and crime as well as support with their mental health.

Absences from school have nearly doubled in the Liverpool City Region since the Covid pandemic began and the LFC Foundation are working with local schools, teachers and pupils to try and reverse this trend.

Its ‘Onside’ programme enables young people to engage in school through a bespoke curriculum developed and adapted to suit their needs. The programme is delivered by LFC Foundation staff who use the power of the badge to engage with young people and help them on their journey.

Matt Parish, chief executive of LFC Foundation, said: “The Legends games are always special occasions and none more so than this year, to have a sell-out crowd and our highest attendance was incredible and to have reached our highest total raises from a single game is fantastic. Those funds will help us to continue to make a real difference in the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

“A large percentage of those funds will go towards our education work and it will enable us to expand our programmes across more schools, train more staff and positively impact more local pupils, which can only benefit the whole city for the future.

“We are extremely grateful to all of the supporters who came to the game and to all of the players and management that took part, days like those really show the best of Liverpool Football Club.”

A proportion of the funds from the game will also go towards Forever Reds, the club’s official former players association, which provides ongoing support for former players of all ages.

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Jürgen Klopp is now just over two weeks away from bringing the curtain down on his Liverpool tenure. It may have been a difficult few weeks but Reds fans will be eager to cherish the final three matches of the Premier League season.

For many, focus is already shifting to the future and the man who will take over. Feyenoord boss Arne Slot's appointment is imminent and he will be tasked with stepping into the shoes of one of the greatest to ever manage Liverpool.

Klopp meanwhile plans on taking a break from football. When he announced his plans to step down back in February, he said he was 'running out of energy' and would take at least a year out from football.

READ MORE: 'Be careful' - Arne Slot urged to avoid Real Madrid transfer repeat as Liverpool boss

READ MORE: Liverpool transfer plan aligns with Arne Slot 'obsession' amid Mohamed Salah uncertainty

Since then, he has admitted he may never return to the dugout but that has not stopped tentative links to the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich. SportBild also reported he was on the German FA's radar after this summer's Euros, before Julian Nagelsmann was offered a new contract.

There is now speculation in Germany that he is being lined up for a return to Borussia Dortmund. According to The Independent, there is 'talk' around the Bundesliga club about rehiring Klopp as 'head of football' after his sabbatical.

Klopp spent seven seasons in charge of Dortmund, helping the club win back-to-back Bundesliga titles. His side was also beaten in the Champions League final by Bayern Munich in 2013.

Bayern has dominated German football since — prior to Bayer Leverkusen's success this term — with Dortmund's last title win coming under Klopp in 2012. It is claimed there remains a desire to hark back to that era, with several familiar figures being rehired.

Klopp admitted back in 2019 that he was open to returning once he left Liverpool. if Dortmund needed him. In a book, which was serialized by Bild, he said: "As a rescuer in need, if the club really needs my help - why should not I do that?"

Dortmund sits fifth this season and its best hope of qualifying for next season's Champions League looks to be winning this year's competition. Edin Terzic's side takes on Paris Saint-Germain in its semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

Liverpool.com says: Klopp looks likely to stick to his word and take at least a year out from football. The demands of management have clearly caught up with him and a move 'upstairs' may actually suit. He still clearly holds Dortmund in high regard and he may find a call from his former club too much to turn down.

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The Liverpool Legends' charity match with Ajax has made £1.2m for the LFC Foundation, setting a new record in the process

The Liverpool Legends' charity match with Ajax has made £1.2m for the LFC Foundation, setting a new record in the process

Liverpool has just three matches remaining of the Jürgen Klopp era, starting with the visit of Tottenham on Sunday. It has been a difficult few weeks for the Reds with their title charge coming to an end, but that should take nothing away from an excellent season.

Klopp's men need just one more win from the last three games to secure third spot and that could land Liverpool a cool $200m (£160m/€187m), thanks to the various performance-related payments.

Liverpool is continuing its talks with Arne Slot to replace Klopp, with a deal having already been agreed with Feyenoord for the Dutch boss. His appointment as 'head coach' could even be confirmed before this weekend's clash.

READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk already told Liverpool all it needs to know about Frenkie de Jong transfer

READ MORE: 'Be careful' - Arne Slot urged to avoid Real Madrid transfer repeat as Liverpool boss

Slot will expect a busy summer once his arrival is confirmed, with Liverpool facing big decisions in the transfer market. But it won't be the only one, with other Premier League clubs also making changes on and off the pitch.

Here, Liverpool.com takes a scan around the Premier League and across the continent to see what's going on at Liverpool's rivals including a potential high-profile exit at Old Trafford and another transfer setback.

Bruno Fernandes opens door to Man Utd exit

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has hinted he could leave Old Trafford this summer. The Portugal international has been one bright spark this season for United, scoring 15 times and providing 11 assists.

But it has been an otherwise difficult campaign with Erik ten Hag's future uncertain following Sir Jim Ratcliffe's recent investment. It was reported by The Telegraph this week that United is open to selling the majority of its squad this summer.

Fernandes is one of the players United would want to keep, unless it received a huge transfer offer, but he has opened the door to a move away after this summer's European Championships.

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He told DAZNPortugal: "A player always has to want to be here, but at the same time, you have to want him to stay. At the moment, I feel there’s that on both sides. I’m not thinking too much about the future, not least because, obviously, this season hasn’t been at the level I’d hoped for, either individually or collectively.

"If I have to think about not continuing in the Premier League, it won’t be until after the Euros because nothing will be able to take my focus away from the FA Cup final and the Euros, as there’s nothing more important than that at the moment."

Liverpool.com says: While Fernandes' credentials as United captain are up for debate, few can argue with his talent. And he has been visibly frustrated at times this season under Erik ten Hag. A change in the dugout could breathe some fresh life into Old Trafford but at 29, Fernandes may believe his best hopes of silverware lie elsewhere.

Nicolo Barella 'rejects Premier League move'

Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella reportedly wants to sign a new deal and snub interest from the Premier League. Barella has had an excellent season, helping Inter to the Serie A title.

There had been reports that Inter would be open to letting him go due to its financial issues, with Liverpool and Manchester United among the clubs said to be interested. Chelsea and Manchester City have both been previously linked.

But according to Gazzetta dello Sport, Barella has no interest in moving to England. It is stated that he has given Inter the green light to offer him a long-term extension on his current deal.

Liverpool.com says: A deal for Barella was always going to be tricky. He has emerged as one of the best midfielders in Europe and Inter rightly want to keep him. Liverpool did overhaul its midfield last summer so will likely have other priorities this time around, but he would have been a fine addition.

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The latest Liverpool news as plan will already be being made for the summer transfer window under the new manager with Arne Slot identified as the replacement for Jurgen Klopp.

The latest Liverpool news as plan will already be being made for the summer transfer window under the new manager with Arne Slot identified as the replacement for Jurgen Klopp.

Any attempt at resurrecting plans to stage Premier League fixtures outside of England and Wales will be met with vehement opposition by the Football Supporters’ Association.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters revealed last week the “door looks ajar” for English top-flight matches to be played overseas – although there are no plans in the pipeline currently.

However, a high-ranking executive at NBC Sports, which holds the rights to screen the Premier League in the United States, told the Athletic the broadcaster is intent on bringing games to American audiences.

Such a topic was broached by the Premier League itself 16 years ago, although proposals for a 39th round of fixtures overseas was nixed after a negative backlash from fans and pressure from FIFA.

Quote tweeting the Athletic article, the FSA wrote on X: “We defeated Game 39 in 2008 and we’d attack any attempted revival with a full blown, two feet off the ground, studs to the knee tackle.”

Two Premier League clubs – Chelsea and Manchester City – will be playing competitive games in the United States in the summer of 2025 at FIFA’s inaugural 32-team Club World Cup.

As for bringing Premier League games to the USA to widen the scope of English football with American fans, NBC Sports’ president of acquisitions and partnerships Jon Miller is in favour.

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“Very much so,” he said. “This is a point that we’ve had conversations with the Premier League and they’ve been very open and receptive to listening to me.

“At some point in the future, I would love to see a couple of Premier League games open the season here in big stadiums on our opening weekend.

“I know that’s something that we’ll continue to push for because I think that there’s an American audience here that would like to see regular-season games.

“But in the meantime, we’ll continue to work with the Premier League to do everything we can to make the games available to as many people as possible.”

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A rollercoaster season is almost at its end and so is Jurgen Klopp‘s time at Liverpool. May signals the end of one era and the start of another, but there is football to play before then.

One month ago, hotels were booked for Dublin, days off were planned in the case of a Premier League win and a trophy parade was on the cards.

April transpired to bring down Liverpool’s season, though, and now the picture looks very different. With the pressure lessened, hopefully the Reds can regain some form to send Klopp off on a positive note.

Elsewhere, the U21s go for glory in the Premier League 2 play-offs, Liverpool Women have three tough games to conclude a good WSL campaign and a new home kit is to be launched.

The new home kit

Official Images: Liverpool FC x Nike Home ? pic.twitter.com/UpK8WrEkby

— Sneaker Market RO (@sneakermarketro) April 27, 2024

With the new home shirt being launched very soon, expect to see the players wearing next season’s strip in the final match of the season against Wolves.

It could be Nike’s last new kit, with Adidas reportedly set to take over as supplier from 2025. Some of the leaks online have divided opinion, so let’s hope it looks better in person.

Spoiler, it’s red!

Tottenham (H) – May 5

Tottenham manager and boyhood Liverpool fan Ange Postecoglou brings his team to Anfield, with considerably more on the line than the Reds.

The North London team go into the weekend with a Champions League spot out of their hands, knowing they must capitalise on any slip-ups from Aston Villa, whom Liverpool in the subsequent match.

Meanwhile, the Reds will be playing for pride, but also to impress incoming head coach Arne Slot who will no-doubt be intently watching from the Netherlands.

Should Liverpool pick up a point from this match, they will mathematically secure a top-four finish.

Aston Villa (A) – May 13

Liverpool must then wait eight days for their next match, against Aston Villa.

Originally, the Reds would have expected to be playing a European semi-final in the build-up to this one, but it will actually be the opposition who have less preparation time.

Aston Villa‘s Europa Conference League semi-final second leg takes place, against Olympiacos in Greece, on the preceding Thursday night, and the Reds will be hoping to their extra rest proves an advantage.

Klopp’s Anfield farewell – May 19

It is a day that we hoped wouldn’t come to pass for a long time but, when Klopp dropped the bombshell that he was leaving at the end of the season, supporters quickly started planning for his last match.

Due to the results in April, the match itself against Wolves won’t be of much significance. However, the occasion will live long in the memory.

Expect a display of art and passion from the Kop, celebrating the manager’s near-nine years at the club.

Given the circumstances, it is fair to say there won’t be a dry eye in the house among those lucky enough to be there, and that includes the departing manager.

The new era begins

With Feyenoord’s season finishing on the same day as Liverpool’s, Slot should be off on holiday after that, but we can still expect an official announcement from the club in the subsequent couple of weeks after the season’s climax.

While Slot is unlikely to do much actual work at the club in May, behind the scenes, things will be prepared for his arrival as the club begin to ramp up transfer and contract talks.

The new sporting director, Richard Hughes, officially starts his new role on June 1.

A tricky finish to a solid season

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Liverpool Women have enjoyed a quietly satisfying second campaign back in the Women’s Super League, and they could even finish as high as fourth.

This wouldn’t bring a Champions League place, but it would mean a finish above rivals Man United, whom they play on May 5.

Before that, though, they face title-chasers Chelsea, on May 1, in a difficult match at Prenton Park that, if won, would represent arguably their best result of the season.

Finally, they finish the season with a trip to Leicester on May 18 after a 13-day gap between fixtures.

U21s can still win silverware

The nature of the restructured Premier League 2 means that the top 16 have the chance to lift the trophy.

Having finished eighth, Liverpool enter the play-offs and will play Crystal Palace at home on May 5.

Should they progress, they will have two more matches to win before a final that would decide the overall champions.

Despite having a strong squad to finish the season, they actually lost three of their last four matches. Coach Barry Lewtas will hope that now, with a few games back together under their belts, they players can gel for the play-offs.

Expect to see Jayden Danns, Lewis Koumas, Bobby Clark, James McConnell and even Stefan Bajcetic involved.

U18s finish the season

The 2023/24 season has been full of ups and downs for the U18s. With some of their key names being promoted to more senior football, they have had a very inexperienced squad at times.

Before the likes of Danns and Koumas were taken, there were some promising performances that included a 7-1 win over Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup.

The latter part of the season hasn’t gone to plan, though, with the nadir a 9-1 home defeat against a strong Man United side.

The young Reds will hope to end the season on a high when they play Derby on May 11, a match live on LFCTV.

Heysel anniversary – May 29

At the end of the month, like every year, we should mark the anniversary of the Heysel disaster, when 39 supporters died before the 1985 European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus.

This was the result of an unstable wall collapsing at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels following fighting in a neutral section of the ground, that culminated in a charge from the Liverpool side.

Fourteen Liverpool fans were convicted of manslaughter while the head of the Belgian FA, Albert Roosens, was given six-month suspended prison sentence and police captain Johan Mahieu was given a nine-month suspended sentence.

Liverpool fixtures in May

First Team

LFC Women

• Chelsea (H) – WSL – Wednesday May 1, 7pm
• Man United (H) – WSL – Sunday May 5, 2pm
• Leicester (A) – WSL – Saturday May 18, 3pm

U21s

U18s

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