A number of senior Liverpool players have been put through their paces at the AXA Training Centre over the past fortnight, although there’s been one notable omission who wasn’t away on international duty this summer.
As per Liverpool Echo, Rhys Williams has been conspicuous by his absence from the first-team squad during their pre-season preparations in Kirkby, which has led to suggestions that he isn’t part of Arne Slot’s plans.
The report adds that the 23-year-old is ‘expected to move on’ from Anfield this summer, having not played for the Reds since the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
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Along with Nat Phillips, Williams will always have the appreciation of Liverpool fans for stepping up during the aforementioned season when so many of our senior centre-backs were ruled out injured.
However, in four separate loan spells since then, the defender has played just 24 matches, 17 of which came with Blackpool in the Championship in 2022/23. Persistent injury problems precluded him from featuring at first-team level for both Aberdeen and Port Vale last term, with those temporary moves not working out for any of the parties concerned.
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His absence from Slot’s squad in training is a clear indicator of where he sits in the Reds’ pecking order, with Jarell Quansah surging ahead of him over the past year and Sepp van den Berg’s integration also adding to the competition for places.
Also, while Williams is classified as a homegrown player for domestic and European squad lists, he no longer qualifies as an under-21 to supplement the senior roster, so his inclusion would fill one of the 25 allotted berths for the Premier League and Champions League.
He has two years remaining on his Liverpool contract, which at least puts the club in a good position to command a decent transfer fee for him should a prospective suitor arise during the summer transfer window.
Whether or not he departs over the coming weeks, hopefully his fortunes will curve upwards once more after his horrendous luck with injuries in recent months.
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