Arne Slot said admitted he has “big shoes to fill” as Jürgen Klopp’s successor at Liverpool but added that the opportunity to win something at Anfield was a key factor behind his decision to join the club.
The Dutch manager was announced as the new Liverpool boss in May, following Klopp’s decision to step down from his post after nearly nine years. Slot won the Dutch Eredivisie title in 2023 and the Dutch Cup in 2024 with Feyenoord.
On Tuesday, he held his first news conference as Liverpool boss at the club’s AXA Training Centre.
When asked if he was overawed by the prospect of succeeding Klopp, Slot said: “You can look it in both ways — yes there are big shoes to fill but you can look at [in a way] that you’ve inherited a squad with a winning culture.
“You want to work at a club with good players and an opportunity to win something. The past shows Liverpool can win trophies. There is an opportunity to win something.”
Klopp revolutionised Liverpool after taking over at the club in 2015. In his nine years there he won eight trophies, including a Champions League and a first league title in 30 years.
“When Jürgen arrived, he said he was the normal one but what made him special was what he left behind. What he did for this club was more than normal,” Slot said.
The 45-year-old held the news conference along with Liverpool’s new sporting director Richard Hughes, who joined from Bournemouth.
Hughes said Slot’s playing style at Feyenoord was a key reason behind his appointment and Slot too spoke of being encouraged by the fact that Liverpool wanted him because of his style of football and not just the trophies he had won.
“I have worked at a really special club at Feyenoord. But when Liverpool comes along … one of the clubs I’d leave Feyenoord for. For me, even more important is that when Richard came over, [it was] to hear the reasons why he wanted to take me, [why] he wanted Liverpool to bring me in and since then I’ve noticed how professional Liverpool is and how fast things went after,” Slot said.
“But most important is, especially for me is, to get to know the reasons why they want you. We were lucky enough to win a few things but playing style … if someone wants to convince he should [tell me] ‘I Iike your playing style’ because I would have been a wrong fit for this club or any other club.
“He [Hughes] really knew a lot, he saw a lot of games. This is something you want to hear, that they don’t only want you maybe because you won the league last season or the cup this season. It has to be more than that. I was impressed by that and since then things went quite smoothly.”
