‘I knew when I was young I wanted it’ – Arne Slot’s coaching journey explained

Slot finally hung up his boots in 2013 after a spell at PEC Zwolle, although a roadmap for his tilt at teaching had already been laid out with the membership.

A journey within the dugout that has since taken him to the reins of SC Cambuur Leeuwarden, AZ Alkmaar, Feyenoord and now Liverpool commenced with a 12 months on the helm of Zwolle’s U14s.

He recalled: “The final selection I made in my profession – to depart Sparta, the place we performed collectively, to go to my former membership PEC Zwolle – was all about me eager to grow to be a supervisor, as a result of I already put in that contract that after I’d cease as a participant I’d grow to be an assistant coach for 2 years.

“Why two years? As a result of at that second you wanted two years of expertise as an assistant coach earlier than you possibly can do the course in Holland to grow to be a head coach. So I used to be like, OK, that’s the minimal I must have.

“Once I was at Sparta, possibly I may have nonetheless performed at a bit larger stage than the membership I went to, Zwolle, who at that second have been a primary division membership. However it was a selection for my managerial profession.”

Having steered AZ Alkmaar right into a 2019-20 title race earlier than that Eredivisie marketing campaign was cancelled resulting from COVID-19, Slot oversaw constant success at Feyenoord.

UEFA Convention League runners-up in 2022, the Rotterdam outfit have been topped league champions in 2023 and Dutch cup winners in 2024.

The 46-year-old has loved a fantastic begin to life within the Liverpool hotseat, too, with 12 wins, one draw and a single loss since his appointment.

Requested by Westerveld about his strategy on the coaching pitch, Slot mentioned: “I do discover it’s actually vital that gamers are available in and earlier than they even go to the coaching floor they really feel like, ‘Oh, it’s going to be a pleasant day, the workout routines might be good.’

“So, I at all times need power in my workout routines. I feel we would have 10 or 15, or possibly a bit extra, sure workout routines. We generally tweak it a bit or alter it a bit, however the thought behind most workout routines are fairly comparable. If I see that there are particular workout routines that they like, we’re not going to do them day-after-day as a result of that doesn’t assist, however these workout routines the place I really feel I solely have to do that and they’re going to [love it], I’ll watch for the second that they’re actually drained. That might be if we now have a coaching camp that I exploit this.

“If you wish to assume that I’ve been profitable at AZ, Feyenoord and now Liverpool, if that’s true then the explanation behind that’s not about all of the techniques board and tactical issues, it’s about power – gamers day-after-day having a variety of power and dealing actually exhausting to enhance. And that they need to are available in they usually like what they’re doing.

“So, if they’re round right here I feel they should have enjoyable. My job and our job as a workers is to create enjoyable whereas they’re studying. That can also be one of many issues I’ve in my workforce conferences. It’s all about wanting to show them one thing but it surely must also be enjoyable.

“I don’t imply enjoyable in the best way that we’re laughing solely, but when gamers are available in I need to create a tradition and environment the place gamers prefer to be at this coaching floor.”