Andoni Iraola has confirmed the roles of the three coaches he brought with him from Bournemouth as the new-look Liverpool backroom staff takes shape, including his No.2 and set-piece specialists
Paul Gorst Liverpool FC correspondent
07:57, 25 Jul 2026
Andoni Iraola leads Liverpool training
Andoni Iraola leads Liverpool training(Image: Nikki Dyer/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola has spoken of the significance of the three coaches he brought with him from Bournemouth as Liverpool's revamped backroom team continues to take shape.
Iraola penned a two-year contract to replace Arne Slot in early June following his departure from Bournemouth, where he led the club to European qualification for the first time in their history before moving on at the close of last season.
As part of the overhaul that saw Slot leave along with assistants Sipke Hulshoff and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, both of whom have since returned to Feyenoord, the new Reds head coach was adamant that Tommy Elphick, Shaun Cooper and Pablo de la Torre would all make the move to Merseyside alongside him.
Iraola brought De la Torre with him from Rayo Vallecano when he took charge at Bournemouth in 2023, and it was at the Vitality Stadium where he forged strong bonds with former players Elphick and Cooper, who have now taken up roles as first-team coaches at Anfield.
De la Torre had previously been recognised as Iraola's fitness coach, but the Liverpool manager has confirmed the Spaniard will serve directly as his No. 2, as he highlighted the value of having his trusted allies by his side.
"For me, it was important they came with me," the former Spain international said during the club's pre-season tour of Chicago. "Pablo is a physical coach but has been with me almost all the years I have been coaching.
"So for me, he is much more than a physical coach, really. He is an assistant and we know each other very well. I was very lucky with Tommy and Shaun when I arrived at Bournemouth. Because I was unlucky to have the issue with my (former) assistant coach Inigo Perez.
"After it, it worked out very well for him because now he is coaching Villarreal, maybe we play him in the Champions League. But when I had Tommy and Shaun there, we did not feel the need to send in another assistant.
"They were very prepared, they were very helpful for me in terms of understanding the English culture, the mentality of the players, what they were used to, what they like in training, even the small details that maybe in Spain are different.
"Also the experience Tommy has at Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brighton, Huddersfield, they can be in a closer position to the players, if you want, They can feel more identified. I am a little bit older. Some of the players maybe didn't know I was a player."
Andoni Iraola with his coaching staff at Bournemouth
Andoni Iraola with his coaching staff at Bournemouth(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
Iraola added: "So they are very good to me, they are very good coaches, we kind of understand the game similarly and they have different roles in the coaching staff, they help with set-pieces also. That's the reason I continued with them."
No side surrendered more set-pieces than Bournemouth last season, conceding a Premier League-high 26. Liverpool also found themselves vulnerable in that area, shipping 23 during a campaign that culminated in the dismissal of Aaron Briggs at the turn of the year, owing to a frailty that proved so costly.
Elphick and Cooper will now collaborate closely with Lewis Mahoney, the first-team set-piece analyst, who assumed a more significant role following Briggs's departure at the end of December.
"Tommy does defensive set plays, Shaun does more offensive, more creative ones," Iraola confirmed. "But also we are working very well here with the set-piece analyst, who was very good in the second half of last season. He is already with the club, so they are working on some stuff.
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"I always say we are assistants to the players. They are the main part. Our main thing is to help them and they are the only ones who can give us success. We are not as important as they are, that is pretty clear."
Alongside the additions of Elphick, Cooper and De la Torre, Luis Fernando Iubel will remain in his position as individual development lead coach. The club additionally announced Alejandro Rosalen's appointment on Monday as the new first-team goalkeeping coach, replacing the outgoing Xavi Valero.