Liverpool’s assistant manager, Pep Lijnders, has revealed that Mikel Arteta wanted him to be his number 2 at the Emirates.
The Spaniard was made Arsenal’s manager in 2019 and it was his first senior managerial role.
He had been the assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City before that so he didn’t have a team to assist him at any job.
He quickly assembled one and looked out for acquaintances to join him on the bench at the Emirates.
The ex-midfielder and Lijnders had met at a coaching course previously and he reached out to the Liverpool coach to join his team.
The latter revealed this in his new book. He wrote, as quoted by Standard Sport: “Mikel Arteta had asked me to be his assistant manager when he was preparing for his new step into management.
“We were together years earlier on the Pro Licence course, [though] his request came out of nothing. Mikel had said he felt: “There was just a difference playing Liverpool before and after you came in.
“This was the biggest compliment I ever got from somebody, I think, but I politely said no to him.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
This revelation shows that Arteta always wants the best for Arsenal, and he wanted to get the best hand to assist him in achieving that.
Lijnders is now one of the best coaches in England and he has earned a lot of praise from Jurgen Klopp for his work with the Reds.
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That doesnt prove he has always wanted the best for Arsenal. What if I argue that shows he has always want what is the best for his career?
Utter gibberish!!!
If he doesn’t want the best for the team he manages then it won’t do an awful lot for his career either