With Liverpool set to build a new backroom staff around incoming head coach Andoni Iraola, the expectation is that a former player will join his coaching team.
Iraola’s move to Anfield is considered imminent, with talks ongoing ahead of an announcement before the World Cup.
Unlike Arne Slot, the Spaniard is not set to bring many coaches with him, with Bournemouth assistant Tommy Elphick and fitness coach Pablo de la Torre likely to be his only hires.
That means Liverpool can build a new-look staff around the 43-year-old, and journalist David Lynch reports that is expected to include a former player.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, October 18, 2021: Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp (R) chats with James Milner (L) during a training session at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the UEFA Champions League Group B Matchday 3 game between Club Atlético de Madrid and Liverpool FC. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“I do expect there to be someone with a Liverpool background to come in and be part of that coaching staff,” he told Anfield Index’s Media Matters podcast.
“I did have a conversation yesterday regarding the possibility and I expect there will be someone who has played for Liverpool previously to be on that staff.
“We’ll wait to see who it is, I mean James Milner‘s just retired! I don’t know if he’s looking to go directly into coaching, we’ll keep an eye on that one.”
The announcement of Milner’s retirement on Monday morning prompted many Liverpool fans to call for his immediate move to the coaching staff.
Thiago to Liverpool staff “makes a lot of sense”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, March 28, 2026: Liverpool's Thiago Alcântara applauds the supporters after the LFC Foundation match between Liverpool FC Legends and Borussia Dortmund Legends at Anfield. The game ended 2-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
But the 40-year-old is clearly not the only viable candidate, with Thiago leaving his position as Barcelona assistant this summer and Steven Gerrard recently confirming his willingness to join as assistant.
“Thiago makes an awful lot of sense, so I wouldn’t rule out that possibility at all,” Lynch continued.
“The fact he’s Spanish, he’s got that link there with Liverpool, he’s played in the Premier League himself before and you’re getting a Spanish coach.
“That just makes a lot of sense, so maybe one to keep an eye on.”
PRESTON, ENGLAND - Monday, August 7, 2023: Liverpool's goalkeeper Adrián San Miguel del Castillo during the pre-match warm-up before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and SV Darmstadt 98 at Deepdale. Liverpool won 3-1. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
In terms of other options, Adrian also retired this summer and could be a viable appointment as a goalkeeping coach, having completed his UEFA B Licence alongside another possible candidate, Joel Matip, in 2024.
There could also be the possibility of a return for John Heitinga who, though not a Liverpool player, gained vital experience of the standards required during his time as Slot’s assistant.
Elphick, meanwhile, is a lifelong Liverpool supporter who would arrive with Premier League knowhow as captain and then assistant at Bournemouth.
But it is clear that a presence such as Milner or Thiago would benefit the club having lost a number of their established leaders from the squad this summer.