Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has admitted he is 'very excited' that Andoni Iraola is the outright favourite to replace Arne Slot as he threw his weight behind the coach getting the job.
The Reds confirmed in a statement on Saturday that Slot is to depart his role as head coach 'with immediate effect' following a disappointing end to the 2025/26 season. Although Liverpool secured Champions League qualification, they finished without a win in four and Slot has since paid the price with the club pulling the trigger six days after the conclusion of the Premier League season.
Iraola, 43, is the frontrunner to step into Slot's shoes after departing Bournemouth following their 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest last Sunday. The Spaniard spent three years at the Vitality Stadium and steered them to an impressive sixth-place finish before parting ways with the Cherries after their final match of the campaign.
AC Milan and Crystal Palace both want Iraola to become their next manager, but reports suggest he is holding out for a call from Liverpool and is eager to succeed Slot at Anfield. The Reds, meanwhile, have Iraola firmly at the top of their wishlist and Collymore has given the move a 'big thumbs up'.
'Very excited if Iraola gets the Liverpool job,' Collymore, who made 81 appearances for the Reds, said on X. 'Excellent coach with a defined style but not stubborn enough to stick with it if it doesn't work. Great communicator so will deal with media honestly and with a bonhomie that the local journos will like and he makes average players good, good players great so plenty of positivity to work with. Big thumbs up here. Very good coach. Played at an excellent Athletic Club with their own unique expectations too so no stranger to local and intense expectations. Good luck Mister!'
The job Iraola accomplished at Bournemouth was nothing short of remarkable. He arrived from Rayo Vallecano in 2023 and transformed the Cherries into a settled Premier League side while playing an exciting style of football. His high-tempo, pressing approach is undoubtedly attractive to the Liverpool faithful, who felt the squad was lacking genuine pace and intensity during the latter stages of the campaign - and Iraola would deliver that.
Like Collymore, Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard is certain that Iraola is the ideal candidate. 'I think potentially, yes. I think he's done a fabulous job at Bournemouth,' he told TNT Sports. 'I think his style would suit Liverpool. But let's not beat around the bush. Liverpool Football Club is an attractive job for a lot of elite managers around the world. So I don't think he'll be the only name on the table. But because of the link to Bournemouth and the guys that have come from Bournemouth to Liverpool in terms of board level, they will know him very well. But then there's other names out there as well that I'm sure will want that Liverpool job. It's a huge job in world football. But potentially to answer your question, I think he should be in the conversation, yes.'
