Andoni Iraola's rise from boyhood club Antiguoko to the Premier League elite is one shared by two of his managerial rivals. The newly-appointed Liverpool boss replaced Arne Slot on Thursday after three years at Bournemouth.
From Amateur Roots to Anfield
The 43-year-old's arrival at Anfield has brought waves of excitement across the fanbase given his philosophy revolves around aggressive pressing and a direct style of play. His footballing principles were first formed at the amateur club where he was a team-mate of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso.
The trio remain the three greatest talents to emerge from Antiguoko to this day. Iraola spent eight years at the club and was coached by Roberto Montiel, who now reigns as the amateur side's vice-president and head of their sports department.
Coach's Insights on Young Iraola
Speaking exclusively to the ECHO, Montiel opened up about how the new Liverpool boss was growing up. He said: "Andoni was a very shy boy and a very good student, and he had spectacular talent. As a child, being very shy, when we had the game under control he would do things with the ball that very few players could do. We had a great team and I consider myself very, very competitive, and I instil that in all my teams."
A Storied Playing Career
Iraola went on to enjoy a 15-year career upon his departure from Antiguoko, with 12 of those being spent with Athletic Bilbao, where he made 510 appearances as a right-back. The Spaniard called time on his playing days after a one-year stint with New York City FC, returning home to Spain and reuniting with Montiel.
An integral figure in his footballing career, Montiel proved pivotal in his former pupil beginning his own managerial journey, despite admitting he wasn't wholly convinced of Iraola's coaching aspirations.
Transition into Management
He explained: "The truth is that when he quit football, I thought he was going to retire, but when he called me and told me that he wanted to start coaching and asked if I could give him a team in Antiguoko, I saw that he might have the makings of a coach. He went to Madrid to get his coaching licence and there I saw that he might have a future, since he was the best in his class during the course."
Iraola's first professional coaching role came with Cypriot side AEK Larnaca before taking charge of Mirandes and Rayo Vallecano. Three years at Bournemouth followed with his last year seeing him lead the club to the Europa League - their first foray into European football - while ending the season boasting an 18-match unbeaten streak.
What Liverpool Can Expect
Seen as the best fit to return Liverpool to the heights they reached prior to this season, Montiel told the Reds squad what they can expect from working under Iraola. He added: "He's a coach who has proven he gets the best out of his players, and above all, I think the most important thing is that he makes the players believe in him and he's very well-liked by the squad. I think that in Antiguoko what we teach them is to compete with all those values, and what you learn when you are 9, 10, 11 years old is useful for your future, so I think something must have been useful to him. I think Andoni is a very, very smart person and has shown that he has adapted very well to all his teams. I think that with a little time he will become a key figure at Liverpool and will become a very memorable manager in the city and in the Premier League."
