When Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool in 2024, it had not only looked like the end of his time as a football manager, but the beginning of Pep Lijnders’ career as a number one.

Having spent a big portion of the previous decade as Klopp’s assistant, the time had felt right for Lijnders to finally forge his own path.

Tactically astute with a big personality to match, there was a feeling that the Dutchman could be one of Europe’s next great managers.

Off he went to Salzburg, where he quietly deployed another of Klopp’s trusted Liverpool allies – Vitor Matos – as his assistant. Sadly, things did not go to plan, and after being sacked only months into his reign, Lijnders surprisingly returned to life as a No. 2 at Manchester City.

The Salzburg debacle had also cost Matos his job. However, it did open the door for the 37-year-old to begin his own path as a first-team manager. After doing well with Maritimo in Portugal, the former Liverpool coach joined Swansea City in November, and things are now going very well indeed.

As the ‘elite development coach’ at Liverpool,...