On Friday afternoon, Liverpool received an unexpected guest at the AXA Training Centre.
A man with connections to Manchester City was at Liverpool’s training facility just one week after former player Joey Barton was seen showing up at the AXA.
This time, it was Nigel De Jong, renowned for Ajax, AC Milan, and the Netherlands.
It is unclear exactly what the 38-year-old was doing at that location. But he was pictured deep in conversation with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp during yesterday’s training.
De Jong’s present role as the technical director of the Dutch FA suggests that the ongoing international standoff involving Ryan Gravenberch may have played a role.
Unexpected guest arrives in Liverpool
Seeing who is invited to see Liverpool train is always interesting. One other former Man City midfielder who has visited is Yaya Toure, who was invited to see a pre-season game back in 2021.
Since then, Toure has worked as a coach for Saudi Arabia’s national team under Roberto Mancini, as well as for Tottenham Hotspur and Standard Liege in Belgium.
Obviously, observing a master like Klopp at work is the best experience for individuals like Toure and Barton who are attempting to carve out a career in coaching.
De Jong, though, undoubtedly has a slightly different goal in mind.
The hard-tackling midfield player doesn’t appear to have any plans to become a coach. Rather, De Jong appears destined for a career in the director’s chair.
Naturally, he will be interested in a few players from Liverpool as he plays for the Dutch national team.
Nonetheless, it still seems a little odd to extend an invitation. Will there be a delegation from Uruguay or the Brazilian FA visiting soon?
Positive developments if the goal was to resolve Gravenberch’s foreign career issues are encouraged. However, it can undoubtedly be handled outside of Liverpool.
It’s interesting to see a new face at training, any way. Eventually, the motivations behind De Jong’s unexpected presence will undoubtedly come to light.
