One Feyenoord player inadvertently gave another strong hint that Arne Slot will be leaving Rotterdam soon to take charge at Liverpool.
The Daily Mail‘s Lewis Steele travelled to the Dutch city over the weekend to get the local perspective on the 45-year-old, speaking with supporters of the Eredivisie runners-up as well as some of the players, including Mexico forward Santi Gimenez.
The 23-year-old described his boss as a ‘complete’ coach who advocates a relentless attacking philosophy and effectively communicates feedback of both a positive and critical nature.
Despite being fluent in English, the Feyenoord attacker had a momentary yet telling slip of the tongue when saying of Slot: “He deserves the world, he made wonderful memories. We are happy he was – well, is – our coach.”
To be fair to Gimenez, it’s not as if Slot has been excessively opaque when discussing the topic of his impending move to Liverpool.
His own reply to one reporter’s question at the weekend effectively confirmed that he’s leaving Feyenoord, and he’s openly said that an official announcement could be made ‘in the next days’, so it really is just a question of when the appointment will be formalised.
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Nonetheless, the Mexico international has offered an encouraging insight into what it’s like to play for the 45-year-old, whose personality has elicited as much praise as his coaching acumen, which is clearly in plentiful supply given that he’s won the Eredivisie and taken the club to a European final.
Just as Jurgen Klopp brilliantly combined on-field success with fostering indelible ties with players and supporters, much of what we’ve heard and read about Slot suggests that he’s well placed to follow the German’s lead in that regard.
It’ll be painful to say goodbye to our current boss depart after the Wolves match on Sunday week, but it’s comforting to know that we have a very promising successor lined up to try and fill his enormous shoes.
Gimenez plays for Mexico.
Thanks.
Apologies, you are indeed correct. That’s been amended now