Tommy Elphick during his time with Aston Villa
Tommy Elphick during his time with Aston Villa(Image: Neville Williams/Getty Images)
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New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola says former Aston Villa defender Tommy Elphick turned down big moves this summer to join him at Anfield.
The duo are busy preparing the Reds for the new season with Iraola being handed the job of succeeding Arne Slot who left the club at the end of last season.
Elphick was linked with the Bristol City job and there is a wide-held belief that he will eventually move into his own manager's job in the future.
But Iraola revealed that Elphick, who was the former's assistant at Bournemouth - couldn't resist the lure of Anfield because he's a Liverpool fan.
“Tommy, I tell him, he is living his dream. I think he had this summer a chance to coach in the Championship,” Iraola told LFCTV.
“Good clubs called him, but I think he couldn’t miss this because he’s been a big Liverpool fan.
“We were talking the other day, meeting with the legends we have here, with Robbie Fowler, Ian Rush – he was like, ‘Oof, this is big’.
“I like how he is feeling it, and I think it’s very nice for him, yes."
Elphick helped Iraola turn Bournemouth into one of the surprise packages in the Premier League but they face the intense pressure that comes attached with managing Liverpool.
But the Spaniard said Elphick and Shaun Cooper's experience of the top flight are of immense help.
“Tommy and Shaun are very valuable because they have been English players, they’ve played in the Premier League, the Championship, League One; they understand the culture, they understand what the players are thinking,” Iraola said.
“So now, I think they are the best ones to transmit the same thing (his processes) to the players and to the new coaches that we already had in the club. They are helping me a lot.
“I think they are sometimes in more touch with the players than me, because always with the manager there is a little bit more distance.
“I think the players are more comfortable sometimes with the assistants. They also know when to filter the information, when I need to know things.
“Sometimes they don’t tell me the things that for sure stay between them and the players. They are brilliant in this.”
What do you remember about Elphick's time at Villa? Have your say HERE
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