Liverpool’s assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff has said that, despite winning the Premier League title, the “highlight” of the campaign is still to come.
The Reds secured first place on Sunday courtesy of a 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, which ensured Arsenal could no longer match their points total. It was a day of immense emotion for all those involved, and head coach Arne Slot immediately turned to his bench to celebrate at full-time.
Hulshoff holds a close relationship with the Liverpool head coach and their journey working together began in 2015. He was part of Slot’s coaching group at Feyenoord and followed him to Merseyside last summer.
Now they’re both Premier League champions, and Hulshoff admitted in a recent interview that the enormity of the situation hit home on Sunday.
“I’m normally quite down to earth. I work at a top club – you have to perform there every day. But at that moment, in front of that crowd, I realised that we had achieved something very special,” the 50-year-old told Dutch outlet Leeuwarder Courant. “I am glad that we still have a few matches to play. So we can still enjoy this championship for three weeks, and then the highlight is yet to come.”
The highlight he is referring to is the bus parade, which has been confirmed as taking place on May 26, the day after the final game of the Premier League season. “I have already looked at a few images on the internet after the Champions League win in 2019,” he continued. “I heard from people who were there that this will be a huge spectacle.”
Hulshoff does have some idea of what awaits him in a few weeks’ time based on the reception the team bus received on Sunday at Anfield. Thousands lined the streets to welcome the coach pull into the ground, with a sea of red smoke engulfing fans and players alike. “That was really great. How many people were there,” he continued. “There must have been tens of thousands. Especially during the last few kilometres, it was incredibly busy.
“This club and its supporters, it’s all so big,” Hulshoff added. “The bus ride also created extra pressure and tension for me. Of course, we had a considerable lead over our competitors. But we wanted to finish this job right away. The supporters, the city, everyone was ready to celebrate this championship. You don’t want to postpone that celebration.”
Liverpool’s assistant coach made headlines earlier this year when the usually mild-mannered Dutchman was sent off following in a fiery disagreement with referee Michael Oliver after Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Everton.
Both he and Slot were shown red cards and served two-match touchline bans, with fellow assistant John Heitinga forced to take charge of the team in their absences.
