'That's the message,' The Liverpool coach has come out to explain why he's written a new book.

‘That’s the message,’ The Liverpool coach has come out to explain why he’s written a new book.

John Achterberg, Liverpool’s goalkeeping coach, has written a book titled ‘A Mersey Mission.’

Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg hopes his freshly published book will motivate the next generation to pursue their objectives despite any challenges that may arise.

‘A Mersey Mission’ looks back on Achterberg’s journey from the Netherlands to England, where he signed with Tranmere Rovers in 1998 and went on to become a crucial player for the Super White Army over an 11-year span.

Towards the end of his tenure at Tranmere, he was offered a coaching position with the club’s youth development department, as well as the opportunity to run coaching courses for teenagers across the Wirral and beyond, talents that he used when he moved to Liverpool in 2009.

Achterberg was initially in charge of the Reds’ Academy goalkeepers before being promoted to oversee the first-team department two years later. He has worked with players such as Pepe Reina, Simon Mignolet, and Alisson Becker, all of whom share their experiences working with the Dutchman in the book.

During his time at Liverpool, Achterberg was a part of the transformation of the club from underachievers to serial winners under Jurgen Klopp’s leadership. Small details can frequently be the difference between failure and success, making training ground preparations even more vital.

Tom van Hulsen, the book’s author, outlines Achterberg’s “desire to succeed, the enchantment of football, and the road to ultimate triumph” after following him carefully for several years to collect vital insights from others involved, including the Reds’ manager.

He added: “I only know my book came out last year in Holland and there were a lot of requests from people in England, so it was decided to bring it out in England. My book is how I think about goalkeeping, how I created my dream to be a keeper and later a goalkeeping coach.

“Different people spoke about it and, for me, it is more to give the message that if you really want something and you put effort in, you can reach it. That is why the book came out.

“My intention was never to write the book, but people in Holland thought it was an interesting story in terms of how I created my pathway and that it could help others to achieve something in life if they want to do it. That’s what the message is: it’s to bring a positive book out and I hope I will never be negative about anything; the book is just to inform young people about what happened.”