Former Liverpool defender Jan Kromkamp has revealed how the Reds are still in his heart, and offered some advice to Arne Slot as he takes charge at Anfield.
The defender has been speaking to Omrop Fryslan and offering his advice to Slot and assistant Spike Hulshoff, who are both heading to Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp’s departure.
The former defender knows all about making the move to Anfield after enjoying a spell at the club during his playing career.
He started that in the Netherlands before ending up at Villarreal in Spain, but only lasted there for a few months before joining Liverpool.
He would only make 18 appearances and manage 855 minutes in a Liverpool shirt before eventually returning to the Netherlands with PSV eight months later.
It’s fair to say his time at the club was hardly the most successful, despite winning the FA Cup that year, but he still holds his former club in high regard.
“All fans live for Liverpool and that is great. It is one of the most beautiful clubs in the world, but that of course also means that the pressure is high.
“It is a working-class city with an important port where the people work very hard. Those supporters live for the club and spend their last money on visiting a match or buying a mug or scarf.”
The focus is now on Slot and whether he and his team can make the transition from the Eredivisie to the Premier League successfully.
The step up is undoubtedly a huge and difficult one, with Liverpool the biggest job of Slot’s career to date.
The pressure will be on for day one, particularly as he is the first man in the door following Jurgen Klopp’s highly successful time at the club.
The noise from outside will likely be huge, and Kromkamp has some advice on that front for his compatriot.
“The English press can be harsh, but you really shouldn’t worry about that,” he added.
“They just have to fill a newspaper every day and so they always come up with something. If I were in the shoes of Hulshof and Slot, I would just focus on the group. Then it will be fine.
“Of course you have a performance culture, but you also have that at Feyenoord. Slot even built a champion team there and did a great job, so I don’t know why that wouldn’t be possible at Liverpool.”
