Former EFL star who just turned down Championship set to join Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool staff

Tommy Elphick is set to join Andoni Iraola’s backroom staff when he takes over at Liverpool, talkSPORT understands.

Outgoing Bournemouth manager Iraola is expected to replace Arne Slot, who was sacked after two seasons in charge, and his coaching team at Anfield already looks to be taking shape.

AFP

Familiar faces

According to talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, Iraola will be bringing two members of his Cherries staff with him to Merseyside.

Both of his assistant at the Vitality Stadium, Elphick and Shaun Cooper, are set to join the Spaniard at Liverpool.

However, Jacobs reports that it will require club-to-club negotiation with Bournemouth to secure their services.

Elphick’s pending arrival comes just weeks after he looked set to land his first senior managerial role.

The 38-year-old was approached by Bristol City over their vacant manager’s position, after Roy Hodgson’s short-term deal expired.

Despite being the No.1 choice to take over at Ashton Gate, Elphick ultimately turned down the role, with Michael Skubala being appointed instead.

At the time, it looked as though the ex-Bournemouth skipper was set to remain at the Vitality as part of new boss Marco Rose‘s backroom team.

But a fresh opportunity has now come up for Elphick, who appears primed to join Iraola at Liverpool, as his appointment edges closer.

The Reds are now finalising a deal to name the 43-year-old as their next head coach, with terms already in place to see him succeed Slot.

Iraola, as well as Elphick and Cooper, will head to Anfield having guided Bournemouth to European qualification for the first time in the club’s 127-year history.

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Getty

The Cherries finished sixth in the Premier League, meaning they will compete in next season’s Europa League.

Who is Tommy Elphick?

Elphick has been part of Bournemouth’s backroom staff since taking a coaching position with the development squad in September 2021.

He was promoted to become their interim assistant manager following Scott Parker’s sacking in August 2022.

This position was then made permanent after Gary O’Neill’s appointment four months later, with Iraola then taking the reigns in June 2023

An icon at Bournemouth, Elphick scored five goals in 142 outings for the club between 2012 and 2016.

During this time, he helped them earn promotion from League One in 2013, before winning the Championship in 2015.

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Following his departure from Bournemouth in 2016, Elphick joined Aston Villa, where his three-year stay was divided up with loan spells at Reading and Hull.

The former defender then ended his playing career at Huddersfield, spending two years at the Yorkshire side between 2019 and 2021.