'Liverpool boss Arne Slot sent me to kickboxing training to raise my mentality'

Arne Slot could look to implement some interesting strategies to toughen up Liverpool's current crop of players.

During his time at Feyenoord , the Dutchman sent four of his defenders to kickboxing training in order to increase their "pain threshold", with the aim of better preparing them for the gritty battlefields of the Eredivisie.

And it clearly worked, with the 46-year-old leading the Netherlands outfit to the league title in his second season in charge, before picking up the KNVB Cup trophy in his final campaign in Rotterdam.

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Norway right-back Marcus Holmgren Pedersen has recently revealed the extensive training methods he and his fellow defenders had to endure during their title-winning campaign in 2022-23, telling Norwegian outlet NRK that the grueling exercise lasted almost a year.

"I think we were three or four players he selected. It was really mostly for the mentality, that the pain threshold had to be raised, since we go into a lot of duels," he said. "In addition, it was good training, so we just got in better shape. I would say that it helped."

The 24-year-old, who is spending the campaign on loan at Serie A side Turin, also believes the experience made him a better defender, improving his all-round game and making him a regular for his national side.

"It actually helped to get a little more 'crazy' in your head! After being punched in the face for a year straight there, you don't get scared if the ball hits you a little in the face, or if you get an elbow, or something. You kind of just go 'all in'," Holmgren Pedersen added.

Liverpool fans are now wondering whether Slot has introduced the same tactics for Liverpool's current crop of defenders, especially given the Premier League is notorious for its physicality.

In fact, the Dutchman took his players to a legendary Philadelphia boxing gym during the club's pre-season tour of the United States, where the likes of Mohamed Salah , Dominik Szoboszlai and Diogo Jota swapped their boots for boxing gloves while working on their fitness and endurance.

"When they started in the summer their training seemed much more physical than under Klopp, ramming into each other with big bags and stuff," one fan pointed out on Reddit .

Another added: "It's not a super unusual thing. The degree of control you need to complete a legal tackle in football is bound to mean there are things to learn from combat sports."

Some Reds fans questioned whether Slot is likely to implement the same methods for Liverpool's current defenders, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate , in particular, already brute forces at the back.

However, it could be a useful exercise for the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister in the heart of the midfield, where they are expected to find themselves in a number of physical duels throughout the season.

Either way, Slot has already proved during his time at Feyenoord, and in pre-season with Liverpool, that he is not afraid to get his players involved in some form of martial arts to toughen them up and bring a different side to their game, so it would be no surprise to see it come into play across the campaign.