Jurgen Klopp Laments Loss of Key Backroom Figure Pepijn Lijnders to Dutch Club NEC Nijmegen

Liverpool coach Pepijn Lijnders has left his role at the club to take over as head coach of Dutch second tier side NEC Nijmegen. 

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has said that he is 'gutted' to see Lijnders go, but is also excited for his former colleague's big opportunity. 

Lijnders joined Liverpool in 2014 and was initially appointed as head coach of the club's U16s. A year later in 2015, the Dutchman was assigned as Liverpool's first-team development coach, and soon became an important part of manager Jurgen Klopp's team of coaches upon the German boss' arrival at the club later that year. 

Speaking to Liverpool's official club website, Jurgen Klopp said that Lijnder's departure will be a great loss to the Reds. He said, "Firstly, I am gutted to be losing such a valuable member of our coaching team and such a brilliant person from our group."

"It is hard to undersell the role Pep played in helping us settle, educating us about football life in England and then contributing ideas to the progress and development of this team."

Before working at Liverpool, Lijnders coaching career began in 2002 for PSV Eindhoven where he worked as a youth trainer and individual player developer. In 2006, he moved to Portugal where he worked for the youth academy of Porto. There, he worked under another former Premier League manager, Andre Villas Boas. 

PAUL ELLIS/GettyImages

(You may also be interested in Jurgen Klopp Responds to Nike's Coutinho to Barcelona Fiasco: 'I Couldn't Be Less Interested')

Klopp added, "Of course, one of his biggest legacies at LFC will be the development and integration into the first-team squad of so many young and exciting players. 

"The role he played in making us aware of these players and then helping us get the best out of them will have a lasting impact here, beyond him leaving."

"There will be no greater supporter of NEC Nijmegen in Liverpool than me and I know this is the very start of a long journey for Pep – one where he will undoubtedly become a success."