Liverpool midfielder Ryan Kent admits the intensity of life at Freiburg has taken him by surprise.

It's a big step for the 20-year-old, who has impressed during spells with Coventry and Barnsley during the last two campaigns.

Kent had made three substitute appearances so far, and speaking to Freiburg's official website he discussed the differences he has found between German and English football.

“One thing is very different: We wear shinpads in training!" he told theLiverpool Echo. “No one does that in England, you only wear socks.

“This was already a small cultural shock. But when I first trained, I knew why we did it! The intensity in Freiburg is very high.

“Here, everyone is already 100 percent in the training and in the game you get a good feeling."