Liverpool defender Tiago Ilori 'to be given first-team chance' during pre-season campaign

Liverpool youngster Tiago Ilori will be given the chance to force himself into the first-team plans of manager Brendan Rodgers during the club's pre-season campaign, according to the defender's father.

Tiago, 22, was signed by the Merseyside club in 2013 after just one season in Sporting Lisbon's first team but has yet to make a first-team appearance for the Reds.

Loan spells at Granada in Spain and at Bordeaux last season in France followed but the Hampstead-born centre-half will have the opportunity to impress the Liverpool hierarchy in the coming months.

"We talked last week about the future of Tiago," the defender's father Kola Ilori told radio station Antena 1, as reported by Portuguese publication Maisfutebol. "They say he will have a chance and will go on the pre-season tour of Thailand."

Kola also revealed Sunderland, who took Reds defender Sebastian Coates on loan last season, have shown an interested in a temporary move for the Portugal Under-21 international, although the north east would not appear to be an appealing proposition for the defender.

"There are other clubs interested, like Sunderland, but Sunderland is a very cold city," Kola added.

But Tiago, who is currently on international duty with Portugal at the Under-21 European Championship, could have his work cut out in forcing his way into Rodgers's first-team plans.

Liverpool have already added a young defender to their ranks this summer, having struck a deal to sign 18-year-old Joe Gomez from Charlton Athletic. He joins Andre Wisdom, another young hopeful looking to make an impact on Merseyside having signed a new contract at Anfield in May following a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion.

The club have also retained the services of Kolo Toure, who penned a new one-year deal following the 2014-15 season. And despite describing an initial contract offer from the club as "unacceptable" in an interview with Slovakian outlet Aktualne, Martin Skrtel looks set to sign a new deal, claims Sky Sports.