Liverpool defender Joel Matip was delighted to be back in action for yesterday's 7-2 friendly win over Blackpool.

The Premier League champions found themselves two goals down to the League One side 33 minutes into Saturday's match as Christopher Hamilton and Jerry Yates (penalty) struck at the Kop end.

But Matip halved the deficit before the interval and Jürgen Klopp's team were much improved in the second period, netting six times to seal an ultimately comprehensive victory – and the defender expects the experience to be beneficial.

“It was nice to be back on the pitch and to be directly back in the stadium. I'm looking forward to the season," Matip, who made his first appearance since sustaining a foot injury in June, told Liverpoolfc.com.

“Of course, they started quite well and made us some problems, but that's the thing about pre-season – you have to learn about things in the game. In the second half especially, we made it much better.

“You can learn from every game and every situation, even if you have not the perfect start. You always can come back."