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It's been gruelling but Liverpool youngster Nathaniel Phillips has loved every single second of pre-season.

Having impressed Jurgen Klopp with his performances in the four UK friendlies, the 21-year-old Academy centre-back was rewarded with a place in the 29-man squad for the club's tour of America.

It promises to be some week for Phillips as the Reds gear up for three International Champions Cup matches against Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Manchester United.

“It's difficult to put into words really – I can't describe how much I'm enjoying it to be honest,” Phillips told the ECHO.

“I remember getting the text just before the start of pre-season telling me to report to Melwood as opposed to joining up with the under-23s at the Academy.

“I trained with the first team in the build up to the Champions League final as a result of the injuries but I wasn't sure what the situation would be regarding pre-season.

“I knew there would be a chance with players missing due to the World Cup but I didn't take anything for granted. Getting that text gave me a real boost.

“A big goal for me over the past few weeks was getting on the tour. When I found out I was coming to the States, I was buzzing. There are three brilliant games over here.

"It's a great opportunity and it's all happened so fast on the back of the last few months of last season.”

Phillips joined his team-mates for a tour of the Roush Fenway Racing Museum in Charlotte before training at the Bank of America Stadium on Saturday. The Reds face Dortmund at 4.05pm on Sunday (9.05pm in the UK).

The young defender, who joined Liverpool from home town club Bolton Wanderers in 2016, has been welcomed with open arms by the senior professionals.

“They've all been great to me,” he said.

“You could see in that Champions League campaign last season how good the spirit is here. There are no egos in this squad.

“I had to room with Robbo (Andy Robertson) for the training camp in Marbella in May and he's a great lad.

“I couldn't pick anyone in the squad and say: 'I wouldn't like to room with him'. They've all helped me settle in and I really appreciate that.”

Phillips is eager to make up for lost time after missing five months of last season due to a stress fracture in his back.

He only returned to action for Liverpool Under-23s in March and found himself quickly promoted to Melwood after season-ending injuries to Joel Matip and Joe Gomez.

“Some players are predisposed to that kind of issue and if you look at my build it's probably not that surprising because I'm so tall and a lot of load goes through my back,” he said.

“I have to do a lot of work in the gym to try to avoid a recurrence of that.

"This has been the most intense pre-season I've ever experienced but I'm feeling fit and I feel like I've been holding my own physically.

"It's so valuable training with top class players on a daily basis. I feel like I've learned so much in a short period of time.

"You can only improve when you are working alongside someone like Virgil van Dijk and all the other boys. It makes you better as a player.

"I'm doing my best to stay fit and hopefully I can leave a good impression on the manager."