With Xavi Valero being appointed as Liverpool’s new goalkeeping coach, his name may be familiar to supporters – and with good reason, too.
Fabian Otte’s surprise exit after just one year on Merseyside, coupled with Claudio Taffarel’s simultaneous departure, has led to the Reds appointing a new goalkeeping coach.
The man chosen to take on the role is the experienced 52-year-old, Valero, who previously worked at Liverpool under Rafa Benitez.
After seven years at West Ham, he has now returned to the Reds, heading up a new-look goalkeeping department that will train chiefly Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman and Armin Pecsi.
Who is Xavi Valero?
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 12, 2018: Wets Ham United's goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and West Ham United FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Born in Castellon de la Plana on the east coast of Spain, Valero came through as a player with hometown club Castellon in the second tier of Spanish football.
He played most of his career in Segunda, spending no more than two years at any club but Mallorca, with whom he won promotion.
His time in Spain also included spells at Logrones, Real Murcia, Cordoba and Recreativo de Huelva, before he eventually moved abroad in 2005, to Wrexham of all places, where he spent one year.
By the end of his playing career, Valero was turning to coaching and got his big break when he joined his compatriot, Benitez, at Liverpool in 2007, replacing Jose Ochotorena as goalkeeping coach.
LONDON, ENGLAND - Saturday, April 4, 2009: Liverpool's goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero before the Premiership match against Fulham at Craven Cottage. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
While at Melwood, he worked chiefly with Pepe Reina but also helped develop Peter Gulacsi who has gone on to have a successful career away from Anfield, featuring 339 times so far for RB Leipzig.
It wasn’t only the goalkeepers whom Valero helped at Liverpool, though. Fernando Torres also benefitted from his advice.
The No. 9 once said: “He has been a genius at telling me every week exactly what kind of task lies in front of me in the following match.
“Nobody has ever worked with me like this before, it’s outstanding.
“Basically, I know days before the next game exactly the best way to finish a chance against the keeper I’m about to face.
“Xavi Valero tells me precisely what each keeper tends to do – stay big, go down early, if they have a preferred side they try to push you to. It’s vital information. I’ve refined the way I take chances as a result.”
After leaving Liverpool alongside Benitez in 2010, Valero subsequently worked with the manager at Internazionale, Chelsea, Napoli and Real Madrid.
He has since spent the last seven years coaching at West Ham, but he now returns to Liverpool to work with an even higher calibre of goalkeeper.
How does Xavi Valero approach goalkeeper coaching?
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 22, 2021: West Ham United's goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero during the pre-match warm-up before the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Manchester United FC and West Ham United FC at Old Trafford. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The landscape of goalkeeping and the needs of a No. 1 have changed since Valero started coaching, but he has kept up with the times.
“The game has progressed and now most of the teams demand very complete goalkeepers that can be good in all aspects of the game, from distribution to covering when playing with a high defensive line,” Valero told ESPN in 2018.
“The game is getting very complex. Goalkeepers resolve any kind of problem that happens during the game.
“Focusing a lot on controlling the game and making the goalkeeper aware of what happens before he gets in touch with the ball, which is the last part of a game situation [and] is key to improve the performance of a goalkeeper.
LONDON, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 31, 2009: Liverpool's manager Rafael Benitez and goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero before the Premiership match against Fulham at Craven Cottage. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“Sometimes we just focus too much on what happens at the end and when the goalkeeper gets in touch with the ball.
“But because the game is so fast, the players are so competitive and the game is more complex, you really need goalkeepers to be able to read the game and be in the right position at the right time in every single moment of the game.
“To go through every game and through most training sessions with the goalkeeper is key to be able to give their best during the game. Pepe (Reina) was the kind of goalkeeper that could tick all the boxes during the game and he was always willing to improve.”
MARSEILLE, FRANCE - Monday, December 10, 2007: Liverpool's goalkeeper Jose Pepe Reina training with goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero at the Stade Velodrome ahead of the final UEFA Champions League Group A match against Olympique de Marseille. Liverpool must win to progress to the knock-out stage. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
With Taffarel leaving – a close companion of Alisson – it will be interesting to see how Liverpool’s goalkeeping situation develops over the next couple of years.
The Reds’ Brazilian No. 1 isn’t going anywhere this summer, but Mamardashvili won’t be happy to play second fiddle forever.
For Valero, it means competition in training should be fierce and keep standards high for Liverpool between the posts.