The first arrival of the Arne Slot era at Liverpool has now been confirmed, although the announcement hasn’t come from any of the club’s official channels.
Ruben Peeters used his LinkedIn profile to share the news of his move to Merseyside, posting on Tuesday: “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as First Team Lead Physical Performance Coach at Liverpool Football Club!”
The 32-year-old was also part of the head coach’s backroom staff at Feyenoord, and his remit at Anfield appears to be a combination of the roles which were held by Andreas Kornmayer (head of fitness and conditioning) and Andreas Schlumberger (head of recovery and performance).
That duo were among a series of off-field exits from Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 season as numerous employees left the club in tandem with Jurgen Klopp.
Although Liverpool fans will be eagerly awaiting incoming activity on the transfer front, backroom additions such as Peeters are also crucial to the overall first-team picture, and any of the players in Slot’s squad would declare as much.
The Belgian has already accrued a lot of high-level experience for someone of his age, having previously worked with Genk (one of the biggest clubs in his homeland) and of course Feyenoord.
FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE
With so many of Klopp’s behind-the-scenes staff departing in recent weeks, there are numerous key appointments still to be made over the summer as a period of significant transition at Anfield takes shape.
Hopefully Peeters’ work will help to contribute towards a reduction in the number of injuries among Liverpool’s senior squad next season, with almost every player at the club having at least one spell in the treatment room over the past year.
The Reds’ participation in an expanded Champions League means that the fixtures will be coming thick and fast again in 2024/25, and managing the recovery time between games will be pivotal to our hopes of success in Slot’s first campaign in charge of the Reds.