Andoni Iraola confirmed as new Liverpool head coach

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SportFootballLiverpool FCAndoni Iraola's appointment at Liverpool's new head coach has been confirmed with the former Bournemouth boss penning a two-year dealLiverpool have confirmed the appointment of Andoni Iraola as their new head coach.The Spaniard has put pen to paper on a two-year deal after agreeing to succeed Arne Slot, who was sacked last Saturday after two years in charge.Iraola has spent the last three years in the Premier League at Bournemouth, who he led to European qualification for the first time before leaving at the end of the season.The 43-year-old has been tasked with bringing a more front-footed, aggressive and urgent style of football to Liverpool after criticism of the style of play under Slot for much of the recent season.With his established football identity deemed to fit the needs of the club, Iraola was Liverpool's preferred candidate to replace Slot on a shortlist that also included Sebastian Hoeness of Stuttgart and Pierre Sage of Lens.However, as the standout choice he was the only contender the Reds held talks with and was keen to make the move to Anfield despite having previously been linked with jobs at Crystal Palace and AC Milan.Discussions over the role were led by the club's sporting director Richard Hughes, who appointed Iraola at Bournemouth when he was previously working at the South Coast side.The relatively short length of Iraola's contract is in keeping with how the Basque manages his career having penned similar deals at his previous clubs.The Reds have been particularly impressed with how his Bournemouth side outperformed what may have been expected from the quality of squad available with an approach similar to that which brought Liverpool success over the past decade.The Anfield hierarchy have also noted how Iraola has improved the level of players - particularly those in attacking areas - without relying on expensive recruitment.Iraola has been on Liverpool's radar for more than a decade having once attempted to sign him as a player. He was a right-back as a player and spent the majority of his career at Athletic Bilbao, and as a youth played in the same team in San Sebastian as Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and new Chelsea manager and former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.He began his managerial career with a brief stint in Cyprus with AEK Larnaca before one year at Mirandes in the Spanish second tier and a subsequent three-year stint at Rayo Vallecano, who he took into La Liga and to the last four of the Copa del Rey.While Iraola has never won a major honour as either a player or manager, his style of play has earned him a growing reputation in the Premier League.Liverpool are currently exploring options for Iraola's coaching staff with no appointments having yet been made.

However, it has been reported the Basque wants to bring with him from Bournemouth assistant coach Tommy Elphick, set-piece coach Shaun Cooper, analyst Tom Webber and fitness coach Pablo de la Torre.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageChoose Liverpool Echo as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Andoni IraolaLiverpool FC