Former Liverpool goalkeeper joins Steven Gerrard’s staff in Saudi Arabia

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Andy Firth has joined Steven Gerrard as a goalkeeping assistant coach at Al-Ettifaq.

While Firth never made a first-team appearance for Liverpool, he has become a known figure around the club across two spells. Now, at just 27 years old, he is heading to Saudi Arabia with John Achterberg.

A boyhood Red, Firth came through Liverpool’s academy and spent 12 seasons on the club’s books before leaving for Barrow in 2018.

Having worked with Firth in Kirkby, Gerrard signed the ‘keeper as Rangers boss, with the Ripon-born player going on to play just once for them.

Also a big thanks to @LFC for having me back in with the U21s & coaching the young keepers. I’ve been so lucky to work with some amazing players and staff since being back at the club again & I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them all ?? pic.twitter.com/zHgswktnYJ

— Andy Firth (@andyfirth1996) June 15, 2024

That came on May 19, 2019, when he replaced the injured Wes Foderingham for the final seven minutes of a 2-1 defeat to Kilmarnock.

After a loan spell at Partick Thistle, he left Rangers permanently in 2022 to join Connah’s Quay Nomads, who play their Games near the River Dee estuary, just over the Wirral’s border with Wales.

All the while, even as a youngster at Liverpool, Firth maintained an interest in coaching and worked his way through his badges.

Over the last couple of years, he has acted as a goalkeeping coach for the under-21s, helping develop goalkeepers such as Caoimhin Kelleher and Vitezslav Jaros.

He has clearly impressed back at the club, and is now joining Gerrard as Achterberg’s goalkeeping assistant coach at Al-Ettifaq.

On X, Firth wrote: “A big thanks to LFC for having me back in with the U21s & coaching the young ‘keepers.

“I’ve been so lucky to work with some amazing players and staff since being back at the club again & I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them all.”

As mentioned, Firth will be working with Achterberg in Saudi Arabia, who is leaving Liverpool after 15 years with the Reds.

The Utrecht-born coach has been based on Merseyside since 1998, having been at Tranmere before joining Liverpool’s academy.

Achterberg was a much-loved figure at the training ground and could be seen warming the goalkeepers up before every first-team match with assistant Jack Robinson, who is also leaving.

The only first-team goalkeeping coach remaining at the club is Alisson‘s right-hand man and Brazil legend, Claudio Taffarel.