Arne Slot confirms new Liverpool vice-captain and makes training ground revelation

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But Slot has now confirmed it is Scotland skipper Robertson, now in his ninth season at Anfield, who has earned the promotion in the club's leadership group.

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"It's Andy Robertson," Slot confirmed.

It was Virgil, Trent, Robbo, Mo last season [in the pecking order], and Trent left, so there are logical reasons for that.

"Apart from that, why is he the second captain?

Because he's a very good player, he plays many games, he knows what it takes, but also he knows the culture of the club and the dressing room.

"Apart from all the quality he's shown on the pitch, he also plays a big role in the culture we have here at this club which - I've said this many times last season - is the biggest gift I could get from Jurgen.

"And that's also something we definitely have to keep for my successor to have, if I'm ever leaving this club."

The Premier League champions welcome last season's runners-up Arsenal to Anfield on Sunday on the back of two dramatic, late victories to kick-start the defence of their championship.

After the 4-2 home win over Bournemouth two weeks ago, courtesy of late goals from Federico Chiesa and Salah, the Reds beat hosts Newcastle 3-2 at St James' Park on Monday night thanks to Rio Ngumoha's 100th-minute winner.

However, Slot has called for an end to the "romanticism" around last season's title-winning exertions when judging it alongside the 25/26 campaign.

The Liverpool boss adds: "The change [we need to make] is, and I tell it sometimes to the players as well, that not every game last season was Tottenham away (6-3) or West Ham away (5-0).

"Always if you win something, everybody's only looking back at some great attacks or some great wins, but the amount of times we struggled last season in a game of football was a lot.

To romanticise last season as much as we do - and sometimes we make this mistake inside the building as well, I mean the players - is incorrect.

"Last season was, every single time, a struggle, most wins were only by one goal and we had to fight really hard for it.

We said it last season 100 times, we didn't win the league as Manchester City did it for so many years with every single game being 4-0 up at half-time.

"We had to fight really hard for it.

It was unbelievable.

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"We need to improve but we even had to improve compared to last season and we need to improve because the competition has improved.