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Richard Hughes has already had quite the summer at Liverpool, and one of his new signings has revealed how the club’s sporting director managed to convince him on a move while on holiday.
The Reds’ squad has been transformed over the last couple of months, with seven new arrivals for Arne Slot’s Premier League champions, including latest arrival Hugo Ekitike.
More signings may yet be on the way, with speculation growing over Alexander Isak after he told Newcastle he wants to leave, while a new center-back will be a priority. It seems though that Hughes isn’t having too many problems convincing players to make the move to Anfield.
Goalkeeper Freddie Woodman is among the new intake, having joined the Reds following the expiration of his contract at Preston.
The 28-year-old has now lifted the lid on how the move came about, and how a message from Hughes while he was on holiday was enough to convince him to join Liverpool.
“Obviously [it was] unbelievable for me personally to sign for this club,” Woodman told the club’s website.
“The transition has been lovely, everyone at the club has made me feel welcome, the lads have been brilliant and it’s been nice to come away on tour and get to know everyone.
“I was on holiday with the family and eyeing up my options and got a message from Richard Hughes and it moved from there. It moved really quickly and I was absolutely delighted.
“It was a nice moment for me to sign for the club [and] have my wife and my daughter there and share that moment, and then quickly up to the AXA [Training Centre] and quickly getting to know everyone.”
Woodman will work alongside established No.1 Alisson Becker at Liverpool, as well as fellow new arrivals Giorgi Mamardashvili and Armin Pecsi, with the Reds’ goalkeeping department having been revamped following the departure of Caoimhin Kelleher to Brentford.
“It’s been brilliant,” Woodman said about his time at the club so far. “I think we’ve worked well, especially while we’ve been here in Hong Kong. It’s been hard work, hard graft and we are pushing each other and, I think, getting the best out of each other.
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“Working with Ali, for myself I’m getting to work with one of the best in the world and I’m just trying to take bits from his game and put them into my game. It’s the same with Giorgi as well – they are world-class goalkeepers, top goalkeepers, and it’s a joy to work with them every day.
“Ultimately you come into a building full of world-class players and you get to know they are nice human beings and normal people firstly.
“It’s been great to get to know everyone on that note and then obviously you get on the training pitch and you go and play your matches and you see the quality and you see the standard.
“For me personally [it’s about] trying to get to that level as quick as possible and help the team where I can.”
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