Trey Nyoni reveals what Andoni Iraola’s really like behind closed doors

In partnership with

Empire of the Kop

·19 Juli 2026

Trey Nyoni reveals what Andoni Iraola’s really like behind closed doors

Trey Nyoni is enjoying life with new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola at the helm.

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY

Video OneFootball

The 19-year-old midfielder talked up his new ‘very friendly’ boss at L4, with the Reds’ pre-season having officially kicked off.

The Merseysiders are set to take on fellow Premier League outfit Sunderland in their first non-competitive clash of the summer this coming Saturday.

Trey Nyoni is enjoying life with new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola

Nyoni appears to have already highlighted a crucial difference between Iraola and his predecessor, Arne Slot.

Not to discredit the Dutchman’s coaching methods, but it seems we’ll be getting a much more hands-on presence in the Basque on the training ground.

“He’s very friendly, he’s very welcoming to everyone and I think he communicates quite well,” the teenager told the official Liverpool website. “Managers will always have their different styles, it’s just about us adapting to it. But it is exciting.”

It’s early days, but it seems like the 44-year-old’s coaching philosophy is already proving popular, judging by Trey’s comments.

Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust

Could there be a role for Nyoni to play this season?

While managers can be a bit more standoffish and still yield success on the pitch (see Rafa Benitez), we’re certainly far more open to the concept of a more present, warm head coach.

It seems to get more out of the players, for starters, and it suits the supporter base, which ultimately wants to feel a human connection to the man in the dugout.

As for where Iraola’s approach potentially leaves Trey Nyoni when it comes to minutes this season, we’d be far from surprised to see the midfielder utilised as opposed to being sent out on loan.

We certainly get the impression that the manager wants as many bodies as he can get in the squad, and will be far more inclined to call and rely upon options beyond his best 12-13 players. And hey, if it worked for Jurgen Klopp, we don’t see why it should prove prohibitive to Andoni Iraola in terms of getting the most out of the squad.

Now we have to wait and see if the new man in charge also shares Slot’s opinion that Nyoni is a ‘big talent’ worth actively developing in 2026/27.