Former Liverpool star goes viral for powerful speech after landing manager job

Albert Riera has been confirmed as the new head coach at Eintracht Frankfurt, with the former Liverpool winger going viral after footage of a locker room speech emerged

Albert Riera is now in charge of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.(Image: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)

Former Liverpool winger Albert Riera, who was signed by Rafa Benitez and played for the Reds for two years, has been confirmed as the new head coach at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Riera, who has previously impressed in charge of Olimpija Ljubljana and Celje, with a brief spell at Bordeaux too, has taken over from Dino Toppmoller, whose team was shipping goals and sitting mid-table in the Bundesliga.

And after the appointment, one of the ex-Liverpool man's old team talks has gone viral on social media. In the video, he can be seen ferociously relaying a message to his players ahead of a game.

"If we lose, we lose in our way," Riera says in the clip. "We are not an average team. We are a team that can beat anyone. When we play football, we play in our style.

"We enjoy it and it is our way. This is what makes us happy every single day."

Previously, Riera has drawn comparisons in terms of his management style to the likes of Pep Guardiola. He has strong principles and has been linked with some big jobs.

The Frankfurt role appears to be a good fit for him. Riera will take on a good group of players who should be capable of implementing his attacking principles.

Riera ended his 16-year playing career in 2016, retiring after playing for Bordeaux, Espanyol, Liverpool, Olympiacos and Galatasaray. He did his coaching badges alongside Xabi Alonso and Xavi.

That career helped his transition into the coaching world, where he has more than enough experience to fall back on when communicating with his players.

During his time at Bordeaux, Riera once refused to play as a wing-back and was subsequently dropped. He says he learned a lot from that time.

"It only took me three games to realize I'd messed up," he told Coaches Voice. "That's why now, as a coach, I tell my players they have to be able to play in different positions.

"They'll have a broader understanding of the game, but they'll also have more opportunities to play."

Having played under the likes of Rafa Benitez and Luis Aragones, Riera had lots of coaching influences during his playing career. He started his coaching journey as an assistant to Fathi Terim at Galatasaray.