Ronald Koeman’s brother Erwin has revealed how drastically life changed for the pair off the pitch when they swapped Southampton for Everton.
Erwin acted as an assistant to his brother at St Mary’s between 2014 and 2016 before Everton came calling for him in July of 2016 as they looked for a replacement for Roberto Martinez.
That was a move the Dutchman didn’t turn down, with the Blues paying Southampton a big fee to get him to swap the South Coast for the North West.
The switch represented a dramatic change in circumstance for the Koeman brothers, with Everton undoubtedly a bigger club than their Premier League counterparts given their respective histories.
That was something Erwin and his brother discovered when they attempted to go out drinking in public.
“In Oman, I had a flat on the beach. A beautiful free country, where a lot has changed. But I also liked the South of England,” he told De Telegraaf.
“At the end of the day, I preferred to go alone in an English pub with a pint at the bar sometimes. In that little restaurant in Southampton, we had great evenings.
“I played DJ, put on Greek music halfway through, people went crazy, and the Albanian owner went crazy. They kept laughing. Hilarious evenings.
“Also, with Ronald, eh. He was the king there, because we had a super team and did a fantastic job.
“But that wasn’t possible with Ronald. The city of Liverpool was many times bigger.
“We went to Sergeant Peppers, one of those tents with live music every day and where you can watch all the matches on seven screens.
“Everyone came up to him. I went on my own then. They just don’t recognise me, really.”
