Portuguese coach applies for Liverpool job vacancy; he’s younger than Nat Phillips – report

A coach from Portugal has said that he’s applied for a vacant role at Liverpool as part of Arne Slot’s backroom staff.

It emerged earlier this week that the Merseyside club had advertised for a set-piece coach via LinkedIn, with any and all interested parties welcome to apply.

As reported by Record, one man who did just that is Rúben Pinheiro, a 26-year-old Portuguese native who most recently was an assistant with Mafra under-23s in his homeland.

He revealed to the news outlet that he’d put his name forward for the vacancy at Anfield and spoke at length about the importance of set pieces in deciding the outcome of matches at the highest level in football.

It seems staggering to think that, should Pinheiro’s application prove successful, Liverpool could have a member of their first-team coaching staff who’s younger than Nat Phillips, who turned 27 in March.

However, the 26-year-old might fall down on one key criterion specified by LFC. The club are seeking a coach with a UEFA A License (or equivalent) for the role, but he currently holds just a B License, according to Transfermarkt.

Whoever is ultimately given the job will have a very important part to play, with dead ball routines often proving to be highly effective if used in the right manner.

As per WhoScored, Liverpool scored the joint-fourth most set-piece goals in the Premier League this season with 15, although that figure still lags behind market leaders Arsenal (20) and Everton (19), with the latter actually scoring more frequently from that avenue than via open play.

The appointment of Thomas Gronnemark as a consultant throw-in coach a few years ago shows that the Reds are very much open to utilising specialist qualification in pursuit of the marginal gains which could potentially prove decisive over the coruse of a full campaign.

Whether it’s Pinheiro or somebody else who’s hired as set-piece coach at Anfield, the importance of their prospective contribution can’t be overstated.