Pep Lijnders Returns to Liverpool Coaching Role as Speculation Continues Over Zeljko Buvac's Future

Following a five-month stint in the Netherlands managing Dutch Eerstedivisie side N.E.C. Nijmegen, Pepijn Lijnders has returned to Liverpool in order to resume his previous role as a first coach.

The highly rated coach left the Reds at the start of the new year in order to become a fully fledged manager in the Netherlands. However, he has returned at the end of the season after N.E.C. failed to secure promotion to the Eredivisie.

Following his return, Lijnders will return to the first team setup at Melwood, with Liverpool releasing a club statement announcing the Dutchman's return on Tuesday evening.

The statement read: "Liverpool FC can confirm that Pepijn Lijnders has returned to take up a role in the club's first-team coaching setup.

"The Dutchman brought a three-and-a-half-season stay at Anfield to an end in January as he took up the managerial reins of NEC in his homeland.

"However, following his departure, Lijnders has agreed to rejoin Jurgen Klopp's backroom staff in a senior capacity."

Lijnders joined the Reds in the summer of 2014 as a first-team development coach to former Liverpool boss, Brendan Rodgers, and remained part of the coaching staff when Jurgen Klopp joined the club in October 2015.

Meanwhile, it is understood that the current situation regarding Liverpool's assistant manager, Zeljko Buvac, and his role with the club remains unchanged, with the Serbian remaining a member of Liverpool staff, despite still being on leave due to personal reasons.

Buvac's leave at a key point in the season caused quite a stir with some reports claiming he had fallen out with Klopp. There were even reports linking him with the then vacant Arsenal manager's job.

Following Lijnders return, journalist David Maddock wrote on Twitter that Buvac "remains an employee of the club and his position is unaffected by the appointment."