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February 28, 2023

Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg hopes his recently released book can inspire the next generation to chase their dreams regardless of obstacles that may come their way.

‘A Mersey Mission’ reflects on Achterberg’s journey from the Netherlands to England, which saw leave his home country to sign for Tranmere Rovers in 1998 and morph into a key player for the Super White Army over an 11-year period.

A coaching role with Tranmere’s youth development department arose towards the latter stages of his time at the club, alongside running coaching courses for youngsters across the Wirral and beyond, skills that were transferred when taking on a new challenge at Liverpool in 2009.

Initially responsible for the Reds’ Academy goalkeepers, Achterberg was promoted to oversee the first-team department two years later and has worked with the likes of Pepe Reina, Simon Mignolet and Alisson Becker, who each share their experiences of working with the Dutchman in the book.

During his time with Liverpool, Achterberg has been part of the process that saw the club turn from underachievers to serial winners under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp. Fine details can often be the difference between failure and success, making preparations on the training ground all the more important.

Author of the book, Tom van Hulsen, details Achterberg’s ‘will to succeed, the magic of football and the road towards ultimate success’ having followed him closely over several years to obtain key insights from those involved, including the Reds’ boss.

He added: “I only know my book came out last year in Holland and there were a lot of requests from people in England, so it was decided to bring it out in England. My book is how I think about goalkeeping, how I created my dream to be a keeper and later a goalkeeping coach.

“Different people spoke about it and, for me, it is more to give the message that if you really want something and you put effort in, you can reach it. That is why the book came out.

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