Viva Liverpool!

Emma Pursey talks to Liverpool centre-half Jo Traynor after the club’s pre-season trip to Madrid, where Atletico invited them over through the men’s clubs’ links and won 5-2. Traynor, a freelance Spanish translator who once lived in Spain, blames the scorching heat and a mismatch in preparation – Liverpool were nowhere near match fit while Atletico were finishing pre-season – but rates the trip a great way to bond with new signings, with a stadium tour and one of the best restaurants around. She expects a return leg in January on grass, in the rain, with plenty of mud. Traynor is looking forward to the Super League while admitting she is ignoring most of the detail, warns that extra training and travel will be hard for team-mates with families and less flexible jobs, and praises Liverpool FC’s backing over kit and facilities.