Harvey Elliott has been accused of being ‘well overweight for his physique’ by the Spanish press after enduring a difficult start to his loan spell at Valencia.
Elliott, 23, joined the Spanish club on a season-long loan from Liverpool at the start of the month.
The midfielder was handed a second chance at the Reds by new boss Andoni Iraola during pre-season, after a campaign of struggle on loan at Aston Villa last season. But the England U21 international star failed to impress the Spaniard, and he was quickly shipped over to Valencia as he sought game time.
Elliott is yet to start a LaLiga game for Valencia and his three substitute appearances for the club have left a lot to be desired.
And now Spanish media outlet Marca has hit out at the Reds loanee for arriving at the Mestalla ‘out of shape’.
In a damning report, they claim that an ‘atypical pre-season’ at Liverpool has led to Elliott’s fitness levels being suboptimal and that he is ‘paying the price’ by getting fewer minutes on the pitch than expected.
On loan Valencia midfielder Harvey Elliott is being accused of being ‘overweight’ by Spanish press
Media outlet Marca say that Elliott (pictured during pre-season) arrived from Liverpool ‘out of shape’
Club football has now halted for three weeks for an extended international break, and with Elliott not involved in the England set-up currently, he is being encouraged to use his time to get up to scratch in the fitness department.
He also has the chance to impress a new manager, with Javier Aguirre, the manager of Mexico when England beat them at the Azteca in that titanic World Cup clash, arriving at the club.
His second loan spell away from Liverpool, where he is just one shy of 150 appearances and won a Premier League title, is proving to be as difficult as his previous one at Aston Villa last season.
During his miserable spell at Villa Park, Unai Emery chose not to select Elliott after a handful of games and admitted that it affected the midfielder.
He made just nine appearances and scored one goal last season, though he still finished with a Europa League winners’ medal, albeit as an unused substitute.
And, speaking during Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the US, Elliott revealed how much of a toll that period had on him.
‘Mentally, it was a very tough one,’ he said. ‘(Going to Villa) was a learning curve. It was an opportunity for me to experience something new.
‘I don’t wish (the situation) upon any other player, because it’s not nice at all, but I have no hard feelings. I wish them all the very best.
‘I did really have a lot of love for them. They treated me as one of their own, and for that I respect them highly.
‘But it was tough, mentally and physically. I’m on the other side of it now. I was able to get through it and achieve something at the end of the season as well (winning a Europa League medal).’
