The Dutchman is looking towards securing a managerial position post his departure from Liverpool, alongside manager Jurgen Klopp, and it appears he might already have a prospective job awaiting him.
Reports suggest that Pep Lijnders is set to land the managerial job at Dutch powerhouse Ajax come this summer, subsequent to his departure from Liverpool.
At 41 years old, Lijnders will bid farewell to Anfield alongside Jurgen Klopp after a decade-long tenure with the club. His time at Liverpool was briefly interrupted in 2018 when he took charge of Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen.
During his stint with NEC Nijmegen, the club were competing in the second tier. However, Lijnders’ tenure was cut short after four months due to the team’s failure to secure a spot in the promotion play-offs.
Following his departure from NEC Nijmegen, Lijnders swiftly returned to his former role at Liverpool just a month later. Since then, he has remained a pivotal figure in the club’s successful era under Klopp, contributing significantly to their trophy haul.
HITC reports that Lijinders is on the verge of returning to his native country and is poised to take over as the manager of Ajax, where he would reunite with former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. Ajax has had a challenging season, finding themselves in the Eredivisie relegation zone at one point.
However, they have since stabilised and climbed back up to fifth place, but the club are seeking new management for the upcoming season. Interim manager John van’t Schip is set to transition into the role of technical director after the dismissal of Maurice Steijn in October.
Lijinders is reportedly the top choice on Ajax’s list, and Liverpool have reportedly given their approval for him to engage in discussions with the Dutch club. Despite his potential departure, Lijinders could still add more silverware to his collection with Liverpool, as they continue to pursue a quadruple following their recent Carabao Cup victory.
Reflecting on his decision to depart this summer, Lijinders stated earlier this month, “Leaving such a club is not easy.”
“But in life I feel always you have to do the right thing and the right thing means that in the summer we said we continue and we go with all we have, we make it ‘the Last Dance’, we make it like a proper ending.
“I always said I will finish with Jurgen; the moment I will not assist anyone else, that’s the moment I will go and I will manage.
“That was always the case. So when we spoke, it was clear for me. Okay, then I go and manage, and we end this project together [that] we started. But yeah, it’s not easy.”
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