Liverpool have appointed Roderick van der Ham as their new first-team tactical analyst, with the Dutchman following Arne Slot to the club from Feyenoord.
Van der Ham was first reported to be joining the Reds two months ago, with Feyenoord outlet 1908.nl revealing Slot’s successful attempt to bring him in.
This was followed by the 33-year-old announcing his departure from the Dutch club in November, after two years in Rotterdam working closely with the Liverpool head coach.
However, any potential move to Merseyside went unconfirmed until the start of December when Van der Ham announced his new job on LinkedIn.
“From De Kuip to Anfield. Now it’s already December, I’m looking back at a grateful November,” he wrote.
“Almost a month ago I officially left Feyenoord for a new challenge and adventure at Liverpool FC.
“It was sad to say goodbye to a lot of great colleagues, but also exciting to meet a lot of new ones at the AXA Training Centre.
“And, although I love the iconic stadium that De Kuip is, it’s wonderful to say that another iconic stadium as Anfield is my new home ground.”
Van der Ham’s official role is as first-team tactical analyst – and this saw him sit alongside Slot in the stands at St Mary’s during Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Southampton.
With Slot suspended from the touchline for the Carabao Cup quarter-final, he instead took a vantage point next to his colleague to gain a wider view of the game.
It is a position Van der Ham (pictured left) will typically take up for every fixture, while reporting to Slot and his coaching staff for briefings both pre- and post-match.
His insight is an invaluable asset to the head coach, expanding his knowledge of both Liverpool’s opponents and quirks of his own system as it is put into action the pitch.
Van der Ham joins an analytics team that also includes Jansen Moreno (opposition analyst), Daniel Spearritt (post-match and elite player development analyst), James French (opposition analyst) and Joel Bonner (post-match analyst) among others.
The appointments of Van der Ham and Moreno come after the departure of assistant manager Peter Krawietz, who Jurgen Klopp nicknamed ‘The Eye’ due to his expertise in visual analysis.
