Sounds good
PIET HAMBERG TALKS TO LIVERPOOLFC.TV
Liverpoolfc.tv 17 October 2007
Piet Hamberg is a man on a mission. The former Ajax man who joined the Academy as Technical Manager in the summer talks exclusively to Liverpoolfc.tv about his desire to unearth the next Steven Gerrard into the first team squad.
Click here to watch our interview with Piet at the Academy>>
Liverpoolfc.tv: You are now three months into your role here at the Academy Piet, how have you settled in?
Piet Hamberg: Very good. I am living in Chester which is not too far from the Academy. We work six days a week so it's not too different to what I was used to back in Holland and Switzerland. The people here are very open and very friendly and it's made settling in very easy for me.
What work have you been doing so far here at the Academy?
I took the opportunity for the first four to five weeks I was here to observe the situation and see how things work at the Academy. After that I decided to make some changes and it takes time for that to work. In the beginning you have to analyse things and you have a plan. You then have to execute that plan and evaluate whether that will work or not. I have to say I have found the Academy to be a fantastic working environment. It's not about infrastructure but it's about the quality of the players and how they can improve.
You came to Liverpool from Grasshoppers Zurich. Why did you decide to come here and was it too good an opportunity to say no to?
Yes. I've been asked many times by people if I wanted to coach in England and I've always said of course, given the right opportunity. For me to become the Academy Technical Manager of Liverpool is something very special. Liverpool is a special club that is known throughout the world and I wanted this job. I remember the first time I was invited to come here by the chief executive Rick Parry and the new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, and it was the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea. The atmosphere was very special and for me it was a case of how can you say no to a club like Liverpool.
You've coached all over the world but is working with young players your main attribute?
About 15 years ago I had to make a decision whether I wanted to be a manager or become technical director of an Academy. I decided I wanted to work in an Academy because I had a bad football education as a younger player, even though I went on to play for Ajax and then the Dutch national team. I wanted to give something back to the younger players and give them the coaching I never had, because there aren't that many coaches that like to work with young players. Working with the young players is my job and my passion.
Tell us what exactly a Technical Manager does at the Academy?
I am responsible for what I term the philosophy of the Academy. I work closely with the Academy coaches every day and try to create a certain philosophy that is not directly dependent on the manager. Mr Benitez is responsible for the first team, the reserve team and training at Melwood. We try to prepare our young players so they can make the step-up from the Academy to Melwood. The technical ability of a player is very important as well as the mental part. Without a good mental attitude and technical ability a player will never achieve their ambition of playing in the Liverpool first team. That is our aim and our goal is to produce players here at the Academy who will go on to play for the first team. If we have these two parts I've mentioned then we go further and teach the players from a tactical point of view and from a physical point of view. I have worked with the coaches here at the Academy for the last two months and it's very surprising to see how they have supported me and co-operated so well, because it's not always like this in football.
How does it work with John Owens and Malcolm Elias and how do your roles differ?
Malcolm is responsible for recruitment. He organises a network of scouts around the world and tries to bring the best young players here. It is a very important role. If we have a player that starts at a very low level you can make him better and better but he will never make it into the first team at Liverpool, because it is the highest level in Europe. John is the manager of the Academy so he rules the Academy! He is responsible for all the staff at the Academy and the administration. Together we run the Academy.
What did you think of the Academy when you first arrived and how impressed were you with the work Steve Heighway had done previously?
It's a fantastic set-up and Steve worked here for so many years coaching the young players. Everyone is grateful for all the work he did here as a player and then as a coach here at the Academy.
Have you spoken to Steve at all?
I have and we have had several good conversations. We can always learn and I can learn from Steve and maybe Steve can learn from me. I always look to people like Steve with that much experience to have a chat with. My life is always about improvement.
Tell us a bit more about your philosophy because a lot of people will talk about the famous youth set-up at Ajax Amsterdam. Is that the route you see Liverpool taking under your guidance long term?
Yes long-term but if you look at Ajax I was a player there and I knew the organisation very well, and I knew the coaches. I think the strength of Ajax has always been their recruitment, because all the young players in Holland want to play for Ajax. For them there's only one club and it's not like England when they have a choice of teams. The recruitment is so good that all the best players in Holland play for Ajax. I think the development could be even better at Ajax so it's important for us to bring the best players here to Liverpool and then we can develop them. I liken it to building a house with all my coaches and all my assistants and all the people who are working here at the Academy. In the house we start with the management on the ground floor which is like the foundation. We will then set our goals and our philosophy. The second part of the house is the first floor which about having the right mentality. Part three is the technical part, part four is the tactical part and the fifth part is the physical part. I've seen many coaches who have tried to coach the young players and they start from the roof if you like which means it's always unstable. We always try and do it the other way and build the house in sections until the players reach the age of 18 or 19 years ago. Then we have the possibility of comparing them to players in the first team. For example we can compare their strength and speed. Then we can say if this player is at this level then maybe he will have a chance of getting to Melwood.
Liverpool fans are very supportive of local players including the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher who have come through the Academy to the first team. Are you as keen to bring local players into the Academy as well as players from overseas?
Of course. You need both as you can't just bring in players from abroad. I think the first place we look for young players is here in Liverpool. I think we should be looking to bring in young players from in and around Liverpool at the age of 12 years old and train with them twice a day. Within three years you will then reach a level that you've never reached before. We did that when I was in Zurich. In 2000 I brought 15 local players into the club. We trained twice daily because we had our own private school in the club. From this group there are now eight players in the Grasshoppers first team squad. I think it's important to bring the best players in from abroad but it's more important to train with the youngsters from in and around Liverpool twice daily and work with them. From the age of 12 they can have six years development here with us until they are 18 and then we will all be pleasantly surprised at their progress, I am very sure about that.
So your idea is to get the players in now at the age of 12 so they can be developed?
Yes and then after five years people can then say how many players did we bring into the first team? That's the only way they can judge me and I will be responsible for that.
You will be judged then by how many young players you get into the first team?
Of course. If you look at the past the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen and Steve McManaman all came through the Academy into the first team. But if you look back on recent years no players have come through into the first team. My goal personally is not to be champions with the Under-18s because I think too many coaches are focused on direct results and they want to win the game. So what are we going to do? Train the players how to defend and how to avoid a goal and then win the game on the counter-attack! If we do that we will never develop players for the first team. What we have to do is focus on the individual player. For example, we might have a player who reaches the age of 16 and he might be fast and strong but maybe technically you are not the best. What we will do then is focus on this individual and say, okay, well so many hours per the week we are going to work on your right foot, your left foot and make right what is missing and improve this player.
How much are you looking forward to the challenge ahead?
It's a dream for me, believe me. We start at 7am and leave work at 7pm. It doesn't take any energy out of you because it's the passion and drive that takes us forward. It's an honour to work for this club.
Like the sound of this
PIET HAMBERG TALKS TO LIVERPOOLFC.TV
Liverpoolfc.tv 17 October 2007
Piet Hamberg is a man on a mission. The former Ajax man who joined the Academy as Technical Manager in the summer talks exclusively to Liverpoolfc.tv about his desire to unearth the next Steven Gerrard into the first team squad.
Click here to watch our interview with Piet at the Academy>>
Liverpoolfc.tv: You are now three months into your role here at the Academy Piet, how have you settled in?
Piet Hamberg: Very good. I am living in Chester which is not too far from the Academy. We work six days a week so it's not too different to what I was used to back in Holland and Switzerland. The people here are very open and very friendly and it's made settling in very easy for me.
What work have you been doing so far here at the Academy?
I took the opportunity for the first four to five weeks I was here to observe the situation and see how things work at the Academy. After that I decided to make some changes and it takes time for that to work. In the beginning you have to analyse things and you have a plan. You then have to execute that plan and evaluate whether that will work or not. I have to say I have found the Academy to be a fantastic working environment. It's not about infrastructure but it's about the quality of the players and how they can improve.
You came to Liverpool from Grasshoppers Zurich. Why did you decide to come here and was it too good an opportunity to say no to?
Yes. I've been asked many times by people if I wanted to coach in England and I've always said of course, given the right opportunity. For me to become the Academy Technical Manager of Liverpool is something very special. Liverpool is a special club that is known throughout the world and I wanted this job. I remember the first time I was invited to come here by the chief executive Rick Parry and the new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, and it was the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea. The atmosphere was very special and for me it was a case of how can you say no to a club like Liverpool.
You've coached all over the world but is working with young players your main attribute?
About 15 years ago I had to make a decision whether I wanted to be a manager or become technical director of an Academy. I decided I wanted to work in an Academy because I had a bad football education as a younger player, even though I went on to play for Ajax and then the Dutch national team. I wanted to give something back to the younger players and give them the coaching I never had, because there aren't that many coaches that like to work with young players. Working with the young players is my job and my passion.
Tell us what exactly a Technical Manager does at the Academy?
I am responsible for what I term the philosophy of the Academy. I work closely with the Academy coaches every day and try to create a certain philosophy that is not directly dependent on the manager. Mr Benitez is responsible for the first team, the reserve team and training at Melwood. We try to prepare our young players so they can make the step-up from the Academy to Melwood. The technical ability of a player is very important as well as the mental part. Without a good mental attitude and technical ability a player will never achieve their ambition of playing in the Liverpool first team. That is our aim and our goal is to produce players here at the Academy who will go on to play for the first team. If we have these two parts I've mentioned then we go further and teach the players from a tactical point of view and from a physical point of view. I have worked with the coaches here at the Academy for the last two months and it's very surprising to see how they have supported me and co-operated so well, because it's not always like this in football.
How does it work with John Owens and Malcolm Elias and how do your roles differ?
Malcolm is responsible for recruitment. He organises a network of scouts around the world and tries to bring the best young players here. It is a very important role. If we have a player that starts at a very low level you can make him better and better but he will never make it into the first team at Liverpool, because it is the highest level in Europe. John is the manager of the Academy so he rules the Academy! He is responsible for all the staff at the Academy and the administration. Together we run the Academy.
What did you think of the Academy when you first arrived and how impressed were you with the work Steve Heighway had done previously?
It's a fantastic set-up and Steve worked here for so many years coaching the young players. Everyone is grateful for all the work he did here as a player and then as a coach here at the Academy.
Have you spoken to Steve at all?
I have and we have had several good conversations. We can always learn and I can learn from Steve and maybe Steve can learn from me. I always look to people like Steve with that much experience to have a chat with. My life is always about improvement.
Tell us a bit more about your philosophy because a lot of people will talk about the famous youth set-up at Ajax Amsterdam. Is that the route you see Liverpool taking under your guidance long term?
Yes long-term but if you look at Ajax I was a player there and I knew the organisation very well, and I knew the coaches. I think the strength of Ajax has always been their recruitment, because all the young players in Holland want to play for Ajax. For them there's only one club and it's not like England when they have a choice of teams. The recruitment is so good that all the best players in Holland play for Ajax. I think the development could be even better at Ajax so it's important for us to bring the best players here to Liverpool and then we can develop them. I liken it to building a house with all my coaches and all my assistants and all the people who are working here at the Academy. In the house we start with the management on the ground floor which is like the foundation. We will then set our goals and our philosophy. The second part of the house is the first floor which about having the right mentality. Part three is the technical part, part four is the tactical part and the fifth part is the physical part. I've seen many coaches who have tried to coach the young players and they start from the roof if you like which means it's always unstable. We always try and do it the other way and build the house in sections until the players reach the age of 18 or 19 years ago. Then we have the possibility of comparing them to players in the first team. For example we can compare their strength and speed. Then we can say if this player is at this level then maybe he will have a chance of getting to Melwood.
Liverpool fans are very supportive of local players including the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher who have come through the Academy to the first team. Are you as keen to bring local players into the Academy as well as players from overseas?
Of course. You need both as you can't just bring in players from abroad. I think the first place we look for young players is here in Liverpool. I think we should be looking to bring in young players from in and around Liverpool at the age of 12 years old and train with them twice a day. Within three years you will then reach a level that you've never reached before. We did that when I was in Zurich. In 2000 I brought 15 local players into the club. We trained twice daily because we had our own private school in the club. From this group there are now eight players in the Grasshoppers first team squad. I think it's important to bring the best players in from abroad but it's more important to train with the youngsters from in and around Liverpool twice daily and work with them. From the age of 12 they can have six years development here with us until they are 18 and then we will all be pleasantly surprised at their progress, I am very sure about that.
So your idea is to get the players in now at the age of 12 so they can be developed?
Yes and then after five years people can then say how many players did we bring into the first team? That's the only way they can judge me and I will be responsible for that.
You will be judged then by how many young players you get into the first team?
Of course. If you look at the past the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen and Steve McManaman all came through the Academy into the first team. But if you look back on recent years no players have come through into the first team. My goal personally is not to be champions with the Under-18s because I think too many coaches are focused on direct results and they want to win the game. So what are we going to do? Train the players how to defend and how to avoid a goal and then win the game on the counter-attack! If we do that we will never develop players for the first team. What we have to do is focus on the individual player. For example, we might have a player who reaches the age of 16 and he might be fast and strong but maybe technically you are not the best. What we will do then is focus on this individual and say, okay, well so many hours per the week we are going to work on your right foot, your left foot and make right what is missing and improve this player.
How much are you looking forward to the challenge ahead?
It's a dream for me, believe me. We start at 7am and leave work at 7pm. It doesn't take any energy out of you because it's the passion and drive that takes us forward. It's an honour to work for this club.
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