Arne Slot speaks for the first time as Liverpool head coach after ‘hard to ignore’ offer.

Arne Slot has admitted he could not ignore the offer to become Liverpool’s new head coach.

Slot was officially announced as Jurgen Klopp’s successor on Monday after the Reds agreed a deal with Feyenoord for his services last month. The Dutchman will officially take up the job on June 1, subject to a work permit, with his first pre-season in charge of the set set to begin in early July.

In his three years in charge of Feyenoord, Slot led the Dutch club to the Eredivisie title and the KNVB Cup, as well as a first European final since 2002. As a result, he was previously of interest to both Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur, only to decide to stay at De Kuip.

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However, speaking for the first time since his move to Anfield was officially confirmed, the 45-year-old thanked Feyenoord and admitted a move to Liverpool was one he couldn’t turn down.

“It’s certainly not an easy decision to close the door behind you at a club where you’ve had so many great times and worked successfully with so many wonderful people,” Slot said. “But as a sportsman, an opportunity to become a head coach in the Premier League at one of the biggest clubs in the world is hard to pass up.

“I am grateful to Feyenoord for their willingness to cooperate in this transition. I really enjoyed the three years I spent at Feyenoord and I felt very much at home from day one, both within the club and with the supporters.

“When I started in Rotterdam in the summer of 2021, I was convinced that it was possible to achieve success at this wonderful club. The fact that we have reached a European final in three years and won several awards makes me more than proud.

“I am proud of the players and staff who worked hard day in and day out for those achievements. To all the other sections of the club who have each contributed to the success in their own way.

“And, of course, also to the fans, who lived so intensely and passionately the many wonderful moments of Feyenoord. As an opponent it’s already impressive when you walk into De Kuip, but when you’re really part of it, you feel it all the more.

“Feyenoord is the club where I could celebrate the first major successes of my coaching career and where I experienced many great matches, so I cherish those memories.

“And as a football fan, I will certainly continue to follow the club, not least because I am convinced that there are many great things to come in Rotterdam. I wish Feyenoord and everyone who cares about this wonderful club all the best for the future.”

Meanwhile, Feyenoord managing director Dennis te Kloese explained why the club accepted Slot’s request to leave to join Liverpool despite only signing a new contract last summer.

“As Feyenoord, you don’t like to let go of a coach who has meant as much to the club as Arne,” he said. “At the same time, we understand very well that working at a club like Liverpool is a special and unique opportunity for him.

“With that in mind, we started the conversation to see if we could find a solution together, and in the end we did. Of course, the thinking about this started a long time ago because I also knew that there was a real chance that things would turn out the way they have now with Arne.

“We can look back with pride and gratitude on the years when Arne was our head coach. Under his management and with a group of very good people around him, the players have developed excellently, the public have been entertained with great football and, certainly not unimportantly, great results have been achieved.

“Arne has unmistakably left his mark on Feyenoord, showing not only the football-loving Netherlands, but beyond the borders what we as a club are capable of. Liverpool are gaining an exceptional professional.”