Image Credits: Imago Images
One of football’s most respected coaches is on the move again.
The Dutchman confirmed his departure from his current club through a heartfelt message posted to his personal Instagram account.
He announced that a mutual agreement had been reached to bring his time at the club to a close, expressing deep gratitude to the board, his assistant Andy Firth, the goalkeepers he worked with, and the wider staff he built relationships with during what he described as a rewarding two-season spell.
In his own words, John Achterberg posted to his account on Instagram, “I met many great friends and good people along the way, and I will always follow and support the club.”
The news will resonate strongly on Merseyside, where Achterberg remains a deeply admired figure after his extraordinary 15-year contribution to Liverpool FC.
Achterberg had been serving as first-team goalkeeping coach at Al-Ettifaq of the Saudi Pro League since June 2024.
His arrival in Saudi Arabia came as a direct consequence of Jurgen Klopp’s departure from Anfield at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Having spent 15 years at Liverpool, surviving multiple managerial transitions under Kenny Dalglish, Brendan Rodgers and ultimately Klopp, Achterberg felt the time was right to pursue a new challenge when his contract expired alongside his long-time manager.
Al-Ettifaq had initially attracted him partly through the presence of Steven Gerrard in the dugout, a connection to the Liverpool world he had inhabited for so long.
Gerrard subsequently departed following a difficult run of results, but the club’s board retained Achterberg on the strength of his elite reputation, a testament to how highly regarded he is within the coaching community beyond just his Anfield legacy.
That legacy is substantial.
During his time with Liverpool, Achterberg was instrumental in some of the club’s most important recruitment decisions, none more so than the signing of Alisson Becker in 2018.
He had tracked the Brazilian goalkeeper as far back as 2013 while Alisson was still at Internacional, and his persistent advocacy for the move proved transformative.
Alisson has since become widely regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers in the world, and has consistently credited Achterberg for his development and adaptation to English football.
Under Achterberg’s guidance, Liverpool won every major trophy available to them, including the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
His next destination is not yet known, but given his standing in the game, it is difficult to imagine him staying unattached for long.
Outside of club football, he continues to run the John Achterberg Goalkeeping Academy, providing specialist development sessions for young keepers across Liverpool, Birkenhead and North Wales, ensuring his influence on the next generation of goalkeepers remains very much alive.