Pepijn Lijnders has insisted that he only stayed longer at Liverpool because of loyalty towards the club’s manager Jurgen Klopp.
The 41-year-old has also exited Anfield following the departure of Klopp at the end of the just-concluded Premier League season.
The highly-rated coach had two stints as assistant manager to the German and was much-loved with suggestions that he could have been the chosen successor to Klopp on Merseyside.
However, Lijnders insisted that he was clear about wanting to move on as well once Klopp made up his mind about ending his time at Anfield.
The Dutchman stressed that he rejected several approaches over the last three years and the only reason he stayed at Anfield because of his loyalty towards Klopp and the club’s ownership.
“Jurgen had made his mind up and I was quite clear that it was the right time for me to make my own way”, Lijnders told The Athletic.
“Over the past three years, I said ‘no’ to a lot of clubs. The reason I always stayed was out of loyalty to Jurgen and FSG.
“I already really wanted to go and show what I could do.”
Red Bull Salzburg have appointed the Dutchman as their new coach this summer.
He had a short but terrible stint as coach at NEC Nijmegen a few years ago before he returned to Liverpool as assistant manager.
