Taking the p*ss! Sheffield United players left in hysterics as dog PEES on training gear ahead of Liverpool clash (VIDEO)

Even the dogs in Liverpool appear to be backing the club's pursuit of glory this season after one cheeky hound disrupted Sheffield United's training session hours before the club's clash at Anfield by urinating on a training cone.

Sheffield United, who have been performing heroics in the English Premier League following their promotion at the end of last season, face a difficult task on Thursday evening when they attempt to become the first team to take three points from Jurgen Klopp's team this year.

But some superstitious fans might suggest that the the omens don't appear so good after the strange incident at Thursday morning's session.

Chris Wilder's men had been training in Stanley Park, in the shadows of Anfield, early on Thursday when the unruly, four-legged pitch invasion occurred.

One of the Blades' training staff attempted to pet the dog but instead of accepting the gesture, it instead raised its hind leg and urinated on a training cone before abruptly leaving - much to the amusement of the players.

Seeing the funny side of things, Sheffield United uploaded a clip of the incident to their Twitter page, saying that they were "just trying to do an activation session in peace."

It remains to be seen if the midweek canine calamity will have any effect on United's players in advance of their clash with Liverpool on Thursday, but the measure of the task ahead of them is an obvious one as Liverpool have dropped just two points all season and currently have a league record of 18 wins and one draw from 19 games. 

Stanley Park famously separates Anfield from Everton's Goodison Park, and was the original site of Everton's home games more than a century ago. At one point, Liverpool considered using the Stanley Park site as a location for a new stadium build, but eventually opted to redevelop sections of Anfield instead. 

And if Sheffield United do claim an unlikely three points, it will be just the second time in Premier League history that they have won at Liverpool's home dating back to Jostein Flo's winner in a 2-1 victory back in 1994.