10 May 2023 , 19:26
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Liverpool's specialist throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark has revealed he will be leaving the club at the end of the season.
Gronnemark first joined Liverpool back in 2018 after manager Jurgen Klopp found his team was often losing possession from their own throw-ins. And while the decision to bring in Gronnemark was ridiculed at the time by some pundits, it ultimately proved to be a successful one with Liverpool winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup during his time at Anfield.
Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol and ex-Everton striker Andy Gray were among those who criticised the appointment of Gronnemark. Nicol branded it "absolute nonsense", while Gray mocked the idea of a throw-in coach altogether.
"I know how you can take advantage of a situation, throw it to one of your own players," he said on beIN SPORTS. "That would be No.1. No.2. Keep hold of the ball. Maybe we are going to see Andy Robertson do a headstand and take it.
"Here is a lesson. Pick the ball up, take it behind your head, throw it to a teammate and keep both feet on the ground. I have got a new one. I want to be the first kick-off coach."
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However, Klopp said Gronnemark made an instant impact on his squad as they embarked on a period of success but the Dane has now revealed his association with Liverpool is coming to an end. Paying tribute to Klopp, Gronnemark said he had "changed my life and helped my family".
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, he said: "I'll forever be thankful to Jurgen for bringing me into the club as well as the staff at Liverpool and all the fans around the world. Jurgen was brave enough to bring in a throw-in coach and that opened up a lot of opportunities for me.
Thomas Gronnemark will be leaving his role as Liverpool's throw-in coach at the end of the season (@ThomasThrowin/Twitter)"This job [at Liverpool] has changed my life and helped my family, so I am forever thankful to Jurgen, the staff and the players. And also to the fans around the world, it really has meant a lot.
"I was pinching my arm in the first period when I joined to see if it was real and now our work has not only made a big difference to the club, it has also helped me get to a position where I could make a change in football.
"It was not always my biggest goal to win titles like we did with Liverpool. I've won 14 titles with my clubs around the world; teams like Ajax, Flamengo, FC Midtjylland, Philadelphia Union and Toulouse, in France, who recently won a French Cup for the first time in over 60 years. It's all been totally fantastic.
"But the biggest goal for me has been to improve throws to make it a better game for everyone to enjoy. My job at Liverpool has really helped me achieve that and it's helped me and my family a lot because now other clubs are looking at it and saying: 'If Liverpool is using this throw-in coach they maybe we should be too.'"