Andoni Iraola has expressed his satisfaction at having Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper as part of his coaching staff at Liverpool, highlighting their significant contributions during his previous tenure at Bournemouth. Both Elphick and Cooper played key roles in the coaching setup under Iraola and have since followed him to Anfield.

Elphick, a lifelong Liverpool supporter, was reportedly drawn to the opportunity to join the club, which influenced his decision to remain an assistant coach despite interest from other Championship teams where he might have taken on a head coach role. Iraola noted that Elphick had several offers to become a No.1 coach but chose to stay due in part to his connection with Liverpool.

“He is living his dream,” Iraola said. “He had a chance this summer to coach in the Championship. Good clubs called him, but I think he couldn’t miss this because he’s been a big Liverpool fan. We were talking the other day, meeting with the legends we have here, with Robbie Fowler, Ian Rush – he was like, ‘Oof, this is big.’ I like how he is feeling it and I think it’s very nice for him, yes.”

Elphick’s playing career primarily saw him as a centre-back with Brighton and Bournemouth, while Cooper has amassed 240 appearances for Bournemouth. Their extensive experience in English football at various levels—including the Premier League, Championship, and League One—has given them a deep understanding of the game, its culture, and player mentality. Iraola values these insights as they bridge the gap between the manager and the squad.

“Tommy and Shaun are very valuable because they have been English players, they’ve played in the Premier League, the Championship, League One; they understand the culture, they understand what the players are thinking,” Iraola commented. “And they’ve gone through the process of understanding how to build a team, because we didn’t know each other when I arrived at Bournemouth and they have seen all the process during these three years where we’ve been evolving, we’ve been adding different things.”

Iraola also emphasized the crucial role Elphick and Cooper play in communication between the players and the managerial team. He remarked that assistants often maintain closer relationships with players than managers do, enabling more effective information flow and team cohesion.

“So now, I think they are the best ones to transmit the same thing to the players and to the new coaches, that we already had in the club. They are helping me a lot. They are sometimes in more touch with the players than me because always with the manager there is a little bit of more distance. I think the players are more comfortable sometimes with the assistants. They know also when to filter the information – when I need to know things. Sometimes they don’t tell me the things that for sure stay between them and the players. They are brilliant in this.”