Throughout February and March, some of the best FIFA players in the world are competing to represent each of the 20 teams taking part in the inaugural ePremier League - a nationwide tournament which will see each team represented by two FIFA players (one on Xbox and one on PlayStation).
On February 25, Goal's own Danny Taylor is set to compete against 15 other players on the Playstation side of the Liverpool play-off for a chance to represent the Merseyside club at the live finals in London on March 28 and 29.
Unlike many other tournaments making up the FIFA 19 Global Series, players taking part in the ePremier League are restricted to only using Premier League players. Here, Taylor takes us through the squad he hopes will take him all the way to the finals.
The ePL gives you the chance to use some players you’ve not used before, which are you most looking forward to and why?
Definitely the Team of the Year (TOTY) players that I can’t fit in or afford for my regular team - Kevin De Bruyne, Virgil van Dijk and David de Gea. Also, Headliner Paul Pogba, because I’ve always wondered if he could be one of the best available centre-midfielders with his height and dribbling.
Which players have you used before and why did they make it into your ePL team?
The only player in my ePL team that’s in my regular team is TOTY N'Golo Kante, the best CM on the game besides Ruud Gullit. He can do literally anything.
Which was the first and last player you picked for your squad?
First name in my squad was Kante, as he was the only player I already use, and the last was Player of the Month Marcus Rashford. I only just discovered in the past couple of days just how overpowered his stats look.
You’ve got three Liverpool players in your starting XI, were there any others you considered and why didn’t they make the cut?
The only other Liverpool player I considered was Mo Salah, and I still might end up starting him at the event, I’m still trying to decide if it’s a good idea to use someone who only has a 3* weak foot considering how inconsistent shooting is on the game.
If you don't start with Salah, will he be your super-sub?
If I don’t end up starting Salah, he’ll definitely be one of the first people off the bench.
Which area of the pitch is the strongest for you and why?
I think definitely in the centre, the two blocks of Flashback Luiz, TOTY Virgil Van Dijk, TOTY Kante and Headliner Pogba will hopefully prove really tough to break down.
David Luiz Flashback is the newest card on there, have you had a chance to use him yet and what have been your impressions?
I’ve only just done Luiz’s Squad Building Challenge yesterday and I haven’t had a chance to use him just yet. I was going to go with Future Stars Joe Gomez but his jumping and heading stats put me off and made me drift towards Luiz, especially with how overpowered crossing is with the latest patch.
A lot of players at the Liverpool play-off you won’t have faced before, do you think that will affect how you play and prepare?
Not really, I’ll probably feel a little bit more pressure than usual as I’ll be expected to win, but I go into every tournament with a decent amount of confidence.