Liverpool using rugby training to toughen up Alisson, says Jurgen Klopp

The £62million summer signing from Roma will get his first taste of life on the road in the Premier League on Monday night when Crystal Palace entertain Klopp’s side at Selhurst Park

Jurgen Klopp is conscious that his new goalkeeper Alisson needs to adapt quickly to the physicality of English football, even though Liverpool are yet to try and toughen him up through special training techniques.

The £62million summer signing from Roma will get his first taste of life on the road in the Premier League on Monday night when Crystal Palace entertain Klopp’s side at Selhurst Park.

John Achterberg, Liverpool’s goalkeeping coach, has been seen testing Alisson’s strength on crosses and set pieces with ‘tackle shields’ typically found in rugby, though Klopp claims this is normal practice at Melwood.

“That is what the goalkeepers always do. It is not really rugby, it is goalkeeper training. All the boys did it,” he said.

“When Loris [Karius, Liverpool’s reserve ‘keeper] came he did it, all the goalkeepers do it, and Alisson is doing it as well of course. It is normal goalkeeper training.”

“We have these situations in training constantly, when we do set pieces the box is full with 22 players. Maybe that is a bit much, but 15 certainly. It is busy, we do it often so that the goalkeeper gets used to that.”

Klopp accepts that Alisson will have to adapt to the perils of playing away from home against physical Premier League sides, but he is confident that the Brazil international will show why Liverpool paid a premium to sign him.

“We will see how that is, but first of all we brought him here because of the things that he is already good at,” Klopp said. “That is what we want him do. It is not that the goalkeeper has to change completely now for this league, we have to help him too in situations.

“That is how it is always is. There is not just one player responsible for something - we have to have the right formation around set pieces. In the game it is not that different, but set pieces are quite different here.”

Alisson enjoyed a relatively straightforward debut in the 4-0 win over West Ham United on the opening weekend, but Roy Hodgson’s Palace are capable of hurting Liverpool through slick, attacking play and on set-pieces.

Alisson needs to adapt quickly to the physicality of English football (Getty)

“So far it was absolutely OK,” Klopp added on Alisson. “In the West Ham game, we were not taller than West Ham, but the opposite. That is where we have really an eye on to defend set pieces. But it is not solely about Alisson, but the whole team.”