Iraola reveals Villarreal manager Perez was once lined up for Liverpool coaching role

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola says Inigo Perez could have been part of his coaching staff at the club had a work permit application not prevented him from joining Bournemouth in 2023.

Iraola wanted Perez to work alongside him when he took charge of Bournemouth, but the application was rejected and he was forced to look elsewhere. Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper instead joined Iraola at Bournemouth before moving with him to Liverpool in the off-season.

Perez, now 38, will face his former colleague on Wednesday evening when Villarreal visit Anfield in the Champions League.

The two Spaniards have known each other for many years. They worked together in Athletic Bilbao’s first-team set-up from 2009 to 2014, while Perez later became Iraola’s assistant at Rayo Vallecano during the 2022-23 campaign.

Asked by Amazon Prime Video whether Perez might have been with him at Liverpool, Iraola said: “Yes, I certainly think so.

“At Bournemouth, he didn’t have the required experience or the required number of years as an assistant to prove he was good enough to work here in the Premier League.

“I remember there was a panel, too. I remember making videos, calling a lot of famous players and trying to convince the panel that he was good enough to be the assistant, but sadly, it didn’t work. But that happens in football.

“When you are good, you are good, and he’s now coaching in the Champions League, so he’s certainly proved he was good enough, not just to be an assistant but to coach here.”

Iraola said Perez’s understanding of the game had been clear throughout their time working together.

“He has always understood the game well,” he added.

“Players like him and me weren’t big athletes, so we had to do everything well on the pitch and make all the right decisions. This is the starting point for a lot of coaches, and in this case, I think it’s quite similar.”

Perez’s coaching career has since taken him to Villarreal, who will now meet Iraola’s Liverpool in European competition at Anfield.