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Former Liverpool goalkeeper Andy Firth has joined Steven Gerrard as assistant goalkeeping coach at Al-Ettifaq.
Although Firth never made a first-team appearance for Liverpool, he became a household name at the club over two spells. Now, at just 27, she’s off to Saudi Arabia with John Achterberg.
A boyhood Red, Firth came through Liverpool’s academy and spent 12 seasons on the club’s books before leaving for Barrow in 2018.
After working with Firth at Kirkby, Gerrard signed the ‘keeper as Rangers boss and the Ripon-born player will play just once for them.
Also many thanks @LFC for bringing me back to the U21s and coaching young goalkeepers. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some amazing players and staff since rejoining the club and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them all?? pic.twitter.com/zHgswktnYJ
— Andy Firth (@andyfirth1996) June 15, 2024
This happened on 19 May 2019, when he replaced the injured Wes Foderingham in the last seven minutes of a 2–1 defeat by Kilmarnock.
After a loan spell at Partick Thistle, he left Rangers permanently in 2022 to join Connah’s Quay Nomads, who play their games near the mouth of the River Dee, just over the Wirral border with Wales.
All the while, even as a youngster at Liverpool, Firth maintained an interest in coaching and worked his way through his badges.
In recent years he has acted as an under-21 goalkeeper coach, helping to develop goalkeepers such as Caoimhin Kelleher and Vitezslav Jaros.
He clearly impressed back at the club and now joins Gerrard as Achterberg’s assistant goalkeeping coach at Al-Ettifaq.
He XFirth wrote: “Many thanks to LFC for bringing me back to the U21s and coaching the young goalkeepers.
“I’ve been lucky enough to work with some amazing players and staff since rejoining the club and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them all.”
As mentioned, Firth will work with Achterberg in Saudi Arabia, who is leaving Liverpool after 15 years with the Reds.
The Utrecht-born manager has been based on Merseyside since 1998, having been at Tranmere before joining Liverpool’s academy.
Achterberg was a popular figure in training and could be seen warming up the goalkeepers before every first-team game with assistant Jack Robinson, who is also leaving.
The only first-team goalkeeping coach left at the club is Alisson’s right-hand man and Brazil legend, Claudio Taffarel.
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