Lewis Koumas: A Promising Pre-Season at Liverpool

At Anfield on Sunday, the scoreline said defeat. For Lewis Koumas, the afternoon felt like something very different.

The 20-year-old Wales international was trusted with a start in Liverpool’s 3-2 pre-season loss to AS Monaco and stayed on for 75 minutes, another significant step in a summer that is quietly gathering momentum for the forward.

This is what he has been chasing: time on the pitch, time around senior pros, time to prove he belongs.

Koumas spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull City, a spell that hardened his game and sharpened his sense of what is required at the top level. Back at Liverpool, he now finds himself in daily training sessions with the club’s established stars – and he knows exactly how valuable that is.

"It's always good and obviously I train with them every day, so it's always good to try to take bits of their game and put it into mine," he told Liverpoolfc.com, a glimpse into a young player intent on learning, not just surviving.

The physical demands are rising, but so is his confidence.

"It's the best I've ever felt physically, so I've just got to keep training," he said, underlining a pre-season built on repetition and resilience rather than headlines.

On the touchline, Andoni Iraola’s message to him has been clear and uncomplicated: be brave, be busy, be yourself.

"He is just encouraging me to just play my game, press, work hard and continue to try to adapt to how he wants us to play," Koumas explained. No frills, no fuss – just intensity and adaptation to a new manager’s blueprint.

The setting on Sunday added an extra layer. A pre-season friendly, yes, but at Anfield, with the stands alive again after the summer lull. For a young player trying to carve out a place in the squad, that matters.

"It was really good to be back at Anfield with the fans. I thought they were great," he said. The connection clearly still lands, even in July.

Koumas found himself in promising positions, sniffing out chances, even if the final touch deserted him this time.

"A few chances [for me]. I just [need to] keep getting in the area and they'll come hopefully," he added, the mindset of a forward who understands that persistence usually beats panic.

The result against Monaco will fade from memory quickly. For Koumas, the bigger question now is whether these pre-season minutes can turn into something more permanent once the real business begins.