Liverpool Duo Join Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq
Liverpool Duo Join Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq
In addition to bringing Jordan Henderson and GIni Wijnaldum with him to Al-Ettifaq last summer, failed Premier League manager, ex-Red, and sportswashing fan Steven Gerrard has made a habit of populating his staff with coaches with Liverpool connections.
A few more have joined him this week at the Saudi Pro League side that has become something of a retirement home for Reds looking for a step down in competition class and an easy payday, with goalkeeping coaches John Achterberg and Andy Firth signing on.
Achterberg was officially named the club’s new goalkeeping coach over the weekend, and he’s been joined by Firth, a former youth player and academy goalkeeping coach who first followed Gerrard from the Reds to the Rangers as a player back in 2018.
Firth is just 27 and is making the transition into full time coaching earlier than many, having spent the last two seasons playing regularly in the Welsh league while earning his coaching badges at Liverpool and working with goalkeepers in the club’s academy.
Achterberg’s coaching career has been entirely with the Reds, joining the academy staff in 2009 after playing for Tranmere. He became first team coach in 2011 under Roy Hodgson and went on to coach under Kenny Dalglish, Brendan Rodgers, and Jürgen Klopp.