Liverpool fans left gobsmacked by Harvey Elliott's body transformation after Sunderland friendly

Liverpool fans were left shocked by Harvey Elliott's noticeable body transformation after their friendly against Sunderland.

In Andoni Iraola's first game in charge, Liverpool produced an eye-catching 4-2 victory over Sunderland in Nashville, kickstarting their United States summer tour with a bang.

Teenager Kieran Morrison opened the scoring in the first period before a flurry of second-half goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas turned the game around after the Black Cats went 2-1 ahead.

Morrison spearheaded a free-flowing, attacking performance against their fellow Premier League side with a Man of the Match display, while Harvey Elliott also returned to action for the Reds following a challenging period.

On deadline day last summer, Elliott joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan, which included an obligation to sign him permanently for £35 million if he made 10 appearances in the league.

But the 23-year-old struggled for game time under Unai Emery, only appearing for 277 minutes across nine appearances in all competitions and seeing his development stagnate as a result.

Emery never saw Elliott as a long-term part of his plans at Villa, and so he was essentially frozen out, with the Villans opting against capturing him permanently.

The Englishman has since returned to Anfield and is determined to impress under new boss Iraola, doing so against Sunderland on Saturday evening.

Elliott grabbed the assist for Morrison's curled opener, surging forward in trademark fashion and putting it on a plate for the 19-year-old.

The attacking midfielder had supporters excited for his return, producing a decent performance, but his impact on the pitch wasn't the only detail that caught the eye.

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Liverpool fans gobsmacked by Harvey Elliott's body transformation

As an attacking midfielder, upper body strength is important, and that is an area where the former Fulham youngster was lacking.

Elliott is known for his smaller physical stature and lack of elite pace, making it easier for defenders to bully him off the ball.

To combat this issue and improve his ability to hold off the opposition, it appears the Englishman has spent pre-season bulking up, with several noticing his stocky build.

"Harvey Elliott back in a Liverpool shirt. And he looks like he has bulked up," Daily Mail journalist Lewis Steele wrote on X, accompanied by a video of Elliott.

Other fans responded, but instead of praising his work in the gym, many felt he was already slow before bulking up.

"That's not a good thing. He was too slow and laboured before bulking up," one person stated.

"He looks awful, nothing like an athlete," another commented, while someone else challenged that claim, writing: "Good job he’s a footballer, not an athlete then. Not every player has to be built like Szoboszlai to be good."

"I find it staggering that he hasn't got himself prepared for this season given what's at stake for him," a fourth pointed out.

"Was better when he was much thinner. Already struggles to run, never mind looking bigger," another fan claimed.

Elliott will get a chance to impress Iraola further when Liverpool play Wrexham in their second pre-season game on July 30.