"Sepp van den Berg knew what he had to do. The Brentford centre-back knew what he was going to do. Another summer, another change; another push to find a footballing home. It was June 2024 and as he enjoyed a lunch in the sunshine with his brother and friends in their hometown of Zwolle in the Netherlands, he could reflect on an excellent season on loan from Liverpool at Mainz."
"Then I got a tap on my shoulder, Van den Berg says. It was Arne Slot. Another guy who had grown up in the area. Slot's first job as a manager had been with the PEC Zwolle under-13s after he retired as a player at the club in 2013; Van den Berg, playing a year up, was in his squad. Now Slot had been confirmed as Jurgen Klopp's successor at Liverpool and he was looking forward to the start of pre-season."
Sepp van den Berg moved from PEC Zwolle to Liverpool at 17 and initially made four domestic cup appearances before being relegated to the reserves. He experienced severe loneliness while living alone, felt forgotten, and suffered a mental health crash that made him not want to train. Loan spells at Preston revived his career and felt like a lifesaver. A successful season on loan at Mainz in 2023-24 further rebuilt his reputation. Despite Arne Slot — his former youth coach from Zwolle — becoming Liverpool manager and contacting him about pre-season, Van den Berg hoped to leave Liverpool and continue seeking a permanent footballing home.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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