Arne Slot announces 'interesting' 33-year-old is joining Liverpool from Bundesliga club in first interview

Arne Slot has confirmed the backroom staff members who will join him at Liverpool.

Slot officially succeeded Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield hot seat earlier this month. After serving as Feyenoord boss for three years, winning the Eredivise title and KNVB Cup, he steps up to the Premier League with the Reds.

Klopp, who spent almost nine years as manager, saw the majority of his backrom staff members also leave. They included assistant managers Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz and goalkeeping coach John Achterberg.

Slot, speaking in his first interview to Liverpool’s club website, confirmed his right-hand man will be trusted lieutenant Sipke Hulshoff. Meanwhile, performance coach Ruben Peeters is also arriving from Feyenoord. And the void of goalkeeping coach will be filled by Fabian Otte. The 33-year-old has been at Borussia Mönchengladbach for the past three years and is currently part of the USA’s staff at the Copa America. Otte also had a spell with Burnley.

Slot said: “I bring in Sipke Hulshoff, who's been my assistant for a few years now at Feyenoord. I worked with him long ago, I worked with him at Cambuur Leeuwarden as well. He was the assistant of Ronald Koeman of the Dutch national team as well, but he is going to join me now from the start.

“A bit older than me, I think, not so much but a bit older than me. Because we work together for such a long time, I think the both of us know exactly what we want when it comes to game model, playing style – and I think that helps.

“Then we will bring in a performance coach, Ruben Peeters, who is going to help me and the club with – how would I put this in English words? – the way we are working on the physical side. Us three have worked together at Feyenoord for three years now and we know how we want to work, which is normal. And then there's a replacement in the goalkeeping staff as well – we've brought in Fabian Otte, who was working at Borussia Monchengladbach and is still now with the USA team at the Copa America.

“So those are the first positions we filled in and I think we are still looking for one or two other positions. I just said in the beginning of the interview that Richard and me are calling each other a lot, not only about this but also about the positions we still have to fill in.

“He's [Fabian Otte] regarded as one of the most interesting goalkeeper coaches there is at the moment and in the meetings we had I felt this as well. [There are] still one or two positions to fill in and we are talking about this and having meetings about this as well.”