Inside Andoni Iraola’s first Liverpool match: Secret friendly confirmed

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A behind-closed-doors friendly has been arranged for Saturday 18 July midday (BST), with a Liverpool XI set to host local non-league outfit Vauxhall Motors at the AXA Training Centre. Although fifteen established first-team players reported back to the club’s Kirkby base earlier this week, early returns were made by Harvey Elliott and young defender Jeremy Jacquet, both of whom commenced training seven days prior with the academy cohort.

Tune in to 'Inside Training' for an exclusive look at our latest pre-season work under Andoni Iraola ? — Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 16, 2026 Crucial minutes are expected to be handed to a lengthy list of hopefuls including Harvey Elliott, Jeremy Jacquet, Stefan Baj?eti?, James McConnell, and new centre-back signing Ifeanyi Ndukwe. For the younger contingent, particularly highly-rated prospects like Nyoni and Ngumoha, the chance to perform directly under the gaze of the new first-team coaching staff is viewed as invaluable.

On Monday, a flight to Chicago will be taken by the squad to kick off a crucial fortnight-long pre-season tour of the United States. For Vauxhall Motors, the trip to Kirkby represents a prestigious moment in the club’s summer schedule.