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Cody Gakpo has said he is “curious” to see what Giovanni van Bronckhorst will bring to the Liverpool team this season after being appointed as Arne Slot’s new assistant coach.
The 50-year-old joins Liverpool following the exit of John Heitinga, who took over as Ajax head coach earlier this summer, and brings with him a wealth of coaching experience. Van Bronckhorst led Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title in 2017, two years before Slot took over the reins in Rotterdam.
Van Bronckhorst also enjoyed stints as the senior coach at Chinese side Guangzhou R&F, Rangers - where he replaced Steven Gerrard - and Besiktas. He was sacked from the latter in November last year and has taken an unexpected next step in his career.
Gakpo, another member of Liverpool's growing Dutch contingent, is interested in what Van Bronckhorst will add to the Reds’ ranks this season.
“As a player, he has a lot of experience. And also as a manager,” the winger told Liverpool’s club website in Hong Kong.
“I think he can teach us a lot from what he experienced in his career, as a player and as a manager.
“He has a lot to tell how it was as a player and the teams he played in, so I think everybody is very curious [about] what he has for us.”
As a head coach, Van Bronckhorst enjoyed mixed success. At Feyenoord, he won silverware in all three seasons, and also led Rangers and Besiktas to cup triumphs.
In Glasgow, he also oversaw Rangers’ run to the 2021 Europa League final, where it was beaten by Eintracht Frankfurt. But an inability to challenge for the title in each of his last two jobs ultimately cost the ex-defender.
As referenced by Gakpo, Van Bronckhorst also enjoyed a stellar playing career, which saw him win titles in the Netherlands, Scotland, England and Spain. The former left-back also won the Champions League during his time with Barcelona and earned a remarkable 106 caps for the Dutch national side.
This season, he will work alongside Sipke Hulshoff as Slot’s assistant. Van Bronckhorst is part of Liverpool’s new-look coaching group, which includes the return of Xavi Valero as goalkeeper coach.
The Spaniard, who previously worked at Liverpool during Rafael Benitez’s tenure, has been joined by Colin Stewart. They replaced the outgoing Fabian Otte and Claudio Taffarel.
The Reds are currently training in Hong Kong ahead of Saturday’s friendly against AC Milan. The squad jetted out on Sunday following the behind-closed-doors preseason friendly victory over Preston North End.
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