English Club to ‘Hold Talks’ with Pep Lijnders Over Return to Management – Report | OneFootball

Pep Lijnders Eyes English Return: A Familiar Face Linked with Norwich Move

It’s no surprise that a club in transition like Norwich City is seeking a coach with a proven pedigree and deep footballing intelligence. According to The Telegraph, Pep Lijnders — once the tactical lieutenant behind Liverpool’s glory days under Jurgen Klopp — is now on their radar.

The Dutchman “will hold talks with the Norwich hierarchy later this week,” The Telegraph reported, as the Canaries aim to bounce back from an underwhelming Championship season. After a mid-table 13th-place finish, and the brief interim stewardship of Jack Wilshere, Norwich are looking for a long-term thinker — someone who blends development with identity.

In many ways, Lijnders fits that bill. His near-decade of experience at Anfield, from 2014 to 2024, saw him evolve from an analyst and coach to Klopp’s most trusted right-hand man. As The Telegraph reminds us, the pair “enjoyed plenty of success together at Anfield, winning one Premier League title, one Champions League title, one FA Cup and two League Cups.”

Photo: IMAGO

Salzburg Stumble Doesn’t Define Him

Of course, Lijnders’ last outing as a head coach — a short-lived tenure at Red Bull Salzburg — wasn’t ideal. Appointed last summer with high expectations, he struggled to replicate the Austrian giant’s usual domestic dominance. “The club fell behind in the Austrian Bundesliga title race and had a string of bad results in the Champions League,” The Telegraph noted. By December, Salzburg had pulled the plug.

While the stint was disappointing, it shouldn’t be viewed as a definitive failure. Salzburg is a unique ecosystem: part development hub, part talent pipeline, part conveyor belt of pressure. Lijnders walked into a high-turnover squad and found himself in a results-driven whirlwind. Context matters.

Norwich’s Shortlist Suggests Ambition

Lijnders isn’t the only name being considered. “Gary O’Neil… has already held discussions with the Canaries,” and Steve Cooper has been “sounded out,” according to The Telegraph. That puts Lijnders in a talented trio, but also frames Norwich’s ambitions: they want a coach with top-tier experience, tactical depth, and youth development prowess.

Lijnders is arguably the most visionary of the three. His coaching style is meticulous. At Liverpool, he was the conduit between Klopp’s charisma and the whiteboard — a man obsessed with positional play, pressing triggers, and fostering a collective identity.

At 42, he’s also at the ideal crossroads of experience and hunger. If Norwich want a long-term project manager, rather than a short-term fixer, Lijnders makes sense.

A Premier League Future Still Beckons

This potential move isn’t just about Norwich. It could also be about positioning Lijnders for a future return to the Premier League. With Klopp gone and Liverpool under new management, it’s clear that his chapter at Anfield has closed — but not the respect he commands in English football.

Should he take the Norwich role, Lijnders would likely implement a high-pressing, ball-dominant style. His philosophy leans into structure but with a license for invention — very much in the Red Bull and Klopp lineage.

Norwich, for all their recent struggles, have an academy that could thrive under such direction. In Lijnders, they wouldn’t just be hiring a coach — they’d be adopting a footballing ideology.

Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

From a Liverpool supporter’s perspective, this news feels like a fitting next step for one of the key architects of our recent glory. Pep Lijnders wasn’t just Klopp’s assistant — he was a strategic mind who shaped our pressing game, oversaw youth development, and helped build the tactical foundations that brought us the 2020 Premier League title and multiple European runs.

His Salzburg spell? Let’s be honest — not every great assistant thrives immediately in the hot seat, especially in a system as fluid and commercially driven as Red Bull’s. But we saw first-hand what Lijnders is capable of with time and the right players.

If Norwich give him that runway, they’ll be onto something. He brings coaching pedigree, a winning mentality, and a clear footballing philosophy — the kind of traits that can lift a Championship side not just to promotion, but to sustainability in the top flight.

And let’s not forget, Lijnders was central in nurturing talents like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, and Harvey Elliott. If he can replicate that at Norwich, they’ll have more than a manager — they’ll have a blueprint.

In Arne Slot, Liverpool have moved forward. But Lijnders’ potential return to English football is a story we’ll be following closely — and proudly.