Photos: Anfield ready for Premier League return – new grass, new seats, new Adidas branding – Liverpool FC

With the wait almost over and the new season upon us, Anfield has undergone a series of changes ahead of Liverpool’s opener against Bournemouth.

By the time kick-off comes on Friday night, 83 days will have passed since Liverpool lifted the Premier League title at Anfield.

While the Reds have been preparing on the training pitch, work has been ongoing at Anfield to get the stadium ready for elite football, following the summer concerts that finished on June 28.

New turf has since been laid by the ground staff, which has been played on twice already when Liverpool faced Athletic Club in a friendly double-header.

Off the pitch, chief among the renovations has been the redesign of the club shop outside the ground.

Since August 1, the shop has been filled with Adidas clothing, the manufacturer having now taken over from Nike.

The Nike tick, painted onto the seats of the Anfield Road Stand, has now been replaced with Adidas’ famous three stripes, as has much of the branding around the stadium.

As the year goes on, the sun gradually bleaches the seats exposed to light. This summer, the Main Stand has undergone some TLC with new chairs being fitted to restore the colour palette to a deeper red.

This was how the stand looked midway through the process:

(Photo: GreyBeard Media)

There has been a slight redesign to some of the Main Stand’s corridors, too, with the mixed zone, where players speak to press after the match, being expanded.

Inside the dressing room, the Reds’ new home shirts are on display, ready for the first game of their quest to retain the league title.

That kit now takes pride of place on the billboards outside the Kop, with Florian Wirtz among those blown up to giant size.

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s ticket office LED screens carry a reminder of who the supporters are coming to watch.

Of course, many those coming to Anfield will want to spend some time remembering Diogo Jota. Murals are now in place on Lyon Road and Sybil Road, the latter situated just a stone’s throw from 97 Avenue.

Finally, there has been a slight change to the home dugout at Anfield.

In the past, players would have to walk past the staff to reach their seats. Now, a small set of steps has been installed next to the tunnel to allow them to head straight to the bench.

Bring on the champions!