The striking thing about Liverpool Women’s training ground is that everything is blue. They have shared Solar campus, and its four pitches, with Tranmere Rovers for 18 months. “I wanted to get some red in there,” nods head coach Vicky Jepson, “make it reflect our DNA.” She pushes a door and grins like Willy Wonka throwing open his chocolate room: “Our home.”

The players returned for the new season to find a dressing room previously decorated in something like Dulux Arctic White now covered with lyrics of You’ll Never Walk Alone. The walls are red, their names and shirt numbers fixed on plaques above the benches.​

“They didn’t know it was happening,” says general manager Adam Greaves-Smith. “A lot of them haven’t seen anything that professional. Tranmere are on board – they’re like our second men’s team.”​

Liverpool are winless, bottom of the Women’s Super League, but recent performances offer hope of survival. A new physical performance coach, David Robshaw, has arrived from the men’s side, plus an assistant manager and goalkeeper coach – an A-licence female who coaches England under 17s – earlier this year. They limited Arsenal and Manchester City to a goal each, after which Jepson extended this invitation: “We don’t feel pressure,” she said. “If you were to come into our camp – and I’d love you to – everyone is smiling.”​