News'When Arne Slot was linked with Liverpool, I thought he was a perfect fit'
Sander Westerveld believes Arne Slot's tactical acumen and interpersonal skills make him a 'perfect fit' at Liverpool.
Former Reds goalkeeper Westerveld and new head coach Slot were previously teammates together at Sparta Rotterdam, and the pair have remained friends since the latter launched his successful coaching career.
Slot officially took over the LFC helm on Saturday after three seasons in charge of Feyenoord, having guided them to the 2022-23 league title, KNVB Cup and been named Eredivisie Manager of the Year on two occasions.
Westerveld, who made 42 appearances for Liverpool between 1999 and 2001, said on LFCTV's Extra Time: "The minute I heard Arne's name [linked], I was like, 'Yeah, that's actually a perfect fit.'
"Over the years people talk about Arne in Holland and they always compared him with Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp.
"He always showed Liverpool clips during training sessions and analysing games. He was showing Liverpool clips on how to play. He's playing in a similar style. It's been well-documented how he plays, what he wants in a team.
"Apart from that, he's also a genuine nice guy. He's always in for a joke, which is really important because it gives a sort of balance in the team, in the group – focus, train hard, have a laugh when you can. Take the pressure off certain situations but never lose the focus on winning games.
"It's easy to motivate the first XI but if you talk about the players that are on the bench, 12 to 25, they're all happy with him as well in all the clubs he's trained, so that's really important and says enough as well."
Slot was captain of Sparta Rotterdam when Westerveld arrived in 2007 and displayed the qualities he would take with him into the next stage of his footballing career.
After retiring as a player in 2013, Slot took his first steps into coaching at SC Cambuur before taking charge of AZ Alkmaar and then Feyenoord.
"This is a guy that deals with pressure as a football player, as a coach," Westerveld continued.
"As a player, you could always see he would become a coach. He was always discussing with the manager at half-time, he was the one who was always talking.
"It's just amazing if you see what he did in all the three teams that he trained. I'm really looking forward to his style."
This article has been automatically translated and, while all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, some errors in translation are possible. Please refer to the original English-language version of the article for the official version.