One of Sean O’Driscoll’s former players has given the new assistant manager at Liverpool a glowing tribute.
Colin Pascoe has parted ways with Brendan Rodgers and the search for his replacement led to O’Driscoll.
Gareth Roberts, who won the FA Youth Cup with Liverpool in 1996, played under O’Driscoll whilst at Doncaster Rovers for almost four seasons between 2006 and 2010.
The full-back played under numerous different managers at clubs such as Tranmere Rovers, Derby County and Notts County.
Now at Stockport County, Roberts has described the England Under-19s head coach as the best manager he has played under. He told the Liverpool Echo:
“He is a 100% football man who lives and breathes the game, 24 hours a day.
“He was the best manager I played for, and I played under quite a few. There is no doubt he made me a better player.
“He’s different class on the training ground. He makes you think at every stage of a training session. Everything he does is designed to make you think, to improve you as a player and to improve you as a person.
“The sessions are always plotted through the week with a focus on the match at the weekend. He tailors what you do to focus on the weak points of the opposition on a Saturday.”
O’Driscoll himself has been at many clubs but he is yet to test himself at the highest level, the Premier League.
The former Wales international Roberts went on to speak about the impact he is likely to have on the sidelines during matches and when aiding Rodgers with tactical decisions as they share the same philosophy.
“He’s a number two this time and has always been a manager in the past. But he and Brendan Rodgers seem to share a similar philosophy about the way the game should be played.
“He is very good at seeing things from the side of the pitch, tweaking players or tweaking the way players are doing things. He’s very good at changing or adjusting tactical systems.
“It’s something he practices with the players on the training ground.
“Players respond to him. He is very quietly spoken and when he raises his voice you listen. He’s very calm. He wants to get his point over.
“If someone is not getting what he is after, he will work with them until they see it.”
