Sipke Hulshoff, a respected Dutch coach, has reportedly reached an agreement to become Arne Slot’s assistant at Liverpool. It has been widely speculated that Hulshoff would be joining Liverpool to replace Pepijn Lijnders as the manager’s assistant. Dutch newspaper Leeuwarder Courant has now confirmed that a deal has been agreed upon. This development doesn’t come as a surprise, considering that Hulshoff recently stepped down from his role assisting Ronald Koeman ahead of Euro 2024.
One of the advantages of Hulshoff joining Liverpool is his prior experience working with Virgil van Dijk, the club captain, as well as Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch in the Netherlands national team. Van Dijk spoke highly of Hulshoff’s impact during the Dutch squad’s training camp, describing him as “very clear and tactically strong.” The defender expressed his hope that Hulshoff would continue to excel in his role at Liverpool. It’s evident that Hulshoff’s coaching abilities have left a positive impression on not only Van Dijk but also the rest of the team.
Hulshoff’s coaching career extends beyond the borders of the Netherlands. He has previously worked at Red Bull Ghana, where he served as a youth coach and later became the first-team manager. He also briefly took charge as caretaker manager at Qatari club Al-Arabi SC. However, it was during his time at Cambuur where he made a name for himself, serving as an assistant manager and stepping in as caretaker boss on multiple occasions. He later joined Feyenoord, initially coaching their under-21s. At Feyenoord, Hulshoff played a crucial role in helping Slot’s side reach the Europa Conference League final and secure victories in the Eredivisie and Dutch Cup.
While Hulshoff’s appointment at Liverpool is confirmed, the specific details of who he will be working alongside are still somewhat unclear. Ruben Peeters is already in place as the first team’s lead physical performance coach, but there haven’t been many updates regarding other coaching roles. It is understood that coach Etienne Reijnen has privately indicated that he expects to stay at Feyenoord due to difficulties in securing a UK work permit. This means that Liverpool still has several positions to fill, with Andreas Kornmayer, Vitor Matos, Peter Krawietz, and John Achterberg all leaving the club this summer.
In conclusion, Sipke Hulshoff’s appointment as Arne Slot’s assistant at Liverpool is now official. His previous experience working with top players like Virgil van Dijk and his successful coaching stints at various clubs make him a valuable addition to the coaching staff. However, with several coaching positions still vacant at Liverpool, it will be interesting to see who else joins Hulshoff in shaping the team’s future success.