Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been 'doing yoga' and expects to return next season in the best shape he has been in for a decade.
The influential England midfielder has not featured for club or country since March, when he saw his season cut short by a groin injury.
Gerrard: Expects to return for Liverpool in top shape
He has since undergone an operation and is eight weeks into his recovery, with the 31-year-old expected to return when the Reds' pre-season training begins early next month.
And captain Gerrard is hungry to get back on the pitch, insisting he feels in top shape ahead of his comeback.
"I have confidence in what I can do," he told the Daily Express. "I am going to be in the best condition physically going into this season that I have been for the last 10 years.
"I am working doubly hard on my body, on my core and on strengthening my groin, which I have suffered with.
"The operation went well and I have nearly double the strength in the groin now than before. The physios at Liverpool are measuring that on a weekly basis and the results show that.
"I know I will be rusty in friendlies but I have confidence that I am going to be the freshest I have been, both mentally and physically, for a long, long time."
Gerrard says he has been working hard to ensure he is in the best possible condition ahead of the new campaign.
"For two or three hours each day I will have to work on my body to make sure I am right," he said. "But I don't see that as a chore. This is me getting right for Liverpool Football Club.
"I have started doing yoga a couple of times a week as well. It absolutely wipes you out. People who think you turn up and you're just posing in different shapes should have a go!
"I am enjoying it after the sessions because I am feeling the benefits. That is part of the reason why my groin feels so good just now.
"I've not kicked a ball for a long time, probably the longest I have gone in my career, and I can't wait to get back now."
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