It is evident that Liverpool ‘wants Pep Lijnders back’ following his departure as Jürgen Klopp’s assistant.
Jürgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders are expected to depart Liverpool this summer.
However, the Reds are reportedly optimistic that the highly regarded assistant would eventually make a comeback.
Following Jürgen Klopp’s right-hand man’s decision to leave Anfield, Liverpool is preparing for a possible Pep Lijnders return. The club is hopeful that, like Arne Slot’s mentor Henk De Jong predicted, Lijnders will return to them at some point during his coaching career.
Henk De Jong, the Dutch manager of Cambuur who hired Slot as his assistant while they were in the second division and eventually gave him the reins, paid a visit to Liverpool’s Kirkby training facility recently. He revealed details about Slot, who is expected to succeed Klopp this summer, and discovered the club’s expectations for Lijnders’ comeback.
De Jong stated, “Everyone at Liverpool is hoping that Arne is going to do really well,” as reported by the Mirror. “Pep Lijnders is leaving, but I got the impression that Liverpool fans all wanted him to return at some point.
“They all spoke very highly about him and I really think he has built a big reputation for himself.”
Lijnders, who was crucial to Liverpool’s victories under Klopp, is eager to take on a managerial position. Liverpool is expecting a major revamp this summer with the departure of Lijnders, as well as of fellow assistant Peter Krawietz, development coach Vitor Matos, and goalkeeping coach John Achterberg.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk stated last month that he believes 41-year-old Lijnders is destined for greatness in football. “Hopefully he will carry on his development, and if he becomes a head coach somewhere then he could be very successful,” Van Dijk stated.
“You never know what will happen in the future. As a coach, you also need a little bit of luck and the appropriate conditions, but we will never forget how crucial he has been to the club’s success.
“Well, let’s see. I hope he has all the success he deserves and wish him the best in whatever occurs. He should be eager to see what the upcoming chapter has in store for him as well. I will always be appreciative of all that he has done for the football team.”
It will be intriguing to see where Lijnders takes his career next, according to Liverpool.
Since his departure was revealed along with Klopp, he has been connected to several roles, and you can bet that he won’t take long to locate his next employer.
His next step is obviously towards management, and it will be interesting to watch how he develops. While it goes without saying that we want Slot to succeed at Anfield, a future return to Anfield may be possible if Lijnders can manage successfully.