Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has backed Andoni Iraola to replace Arne Slot as the club's new manager, giving the move a "big thumbs up" as the Spaniard emerges as the frontrunner for the Anfield role.
Kieran King Football Writer
15:48, 31 May 2026Updated 15:58, 31 May 2026
Andoni Iraola is the top candidate to replace Arne Slot as Liverpool head coach
Andoni Iraola is the top candidate to replace Arne Slot as Liverpool head coach(Image: (Photo by Maynard Manyowa/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images))
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has declared he is "very excited" at the prospect of Andoni Iraola, the outright favorite to succeed Arne Slot, taking the reins at Anfield, throwing his full backing behind the appointment.
The Reds confirmed via an official statement on Saturday that Slot is to leave his position as head coach "with immediate effect" following a dismal conclusion to the 2025/26 campaign.
Despite Liverpool securing Champions League football, they ended the season without a victory in four matches, and Slot has since paid the ultimate price, with the club pulling the trigger just six days after the Premier League season drew to a close.
Iraola, 43, has emerged as the leading candidate to fill Slot's position after departing Bournemouth following their 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest last Sunday. The Spaniard spent three years at the Vitality Stadium, guiding the Cherries to a commendable sixth-place finish before parting ways at the conclusion of their final fixture of the season.
Both AC Milan and Crystal Palace are vying for Iraola's signature, yet reports indicate he is holding out for a call from Liverpool and is keen to take over from Slot at Anfield. The Reds, meanwhile, have Iraola firmly at the summit of their wishlist, and Collymore has given the potential move a "big thumbs up".
"Very excited if Iraola gets the Liverpool job," said Collymore, who made 81 appearances for the Reds, on X. "Excellent coach with a defined style but not stubborn enough to stick with it if it doesn't work.
"Great communicator so will deal with media honestly and with a bonhomie that the local journos will like and he makes average players good, good players great so plenty of positivity to work with.
"Big thumbs up here. Very good coach. Played at an excellent Athletic Club with their own unique expectations too so no stranger to local and intense expectations. "Good luck Mister!""
Andoni Iraola is the current favorite
Andoni Iraola is the current favorite(Image: 2026 Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth)
The work Iraola achieved at Bournemouth was nothing short of extraordinary. He joined from Rayo Vallecano in 2023 and turned the Cherries into an established Premier League outfit while playing an entertaining brand of football.
His high-energy, pressing style is undoubtedly appealing to the Liverpool fanbase, who felt the squad was missing genuine pace and intensity during the final stages of the season - and Iraola would provide that.
Like Collymore, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is convinced that Iraola is the perfect choice. "I think potentially, yes. I think he's done a fabulous job at Bournemouth," he told TNT Sports. "I think his style would suit Liverpool.
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"But let's not beat around the bush. Liverpool Football Club is an attractive job for a lot of elite managers around the world. So I don't think he'll be the only name on the table. But because of the link to Bournemouth and the guys that have come from Bournemouth to Liverpool in terms of board level, they will know him very well.
"But then there's other names out there as well that I'm sure will want that Liverpool job. It's a huge job in world football. But potentially to answer your question, I think he should be in the conversation, yes."