Liverpool travel to Brentford for their next Premier League test on Saturday night, with Arne Slott’s Reds set to face a number of familiar faces in west London.
More than a year after giving up hopes of breaking into Liverpool’s first team, Sepp van den Berg has a chance to show his former employers what he could be capable of. Van de Berg joined as a highly rated teenager under Jurgen Klopp, but gave up waiting for an opportunity and left for Brentford during Arne Slott’s first spell in charge.
Liverpool have lost their last three league games, ceding their place in the title race. After four consecutive defeats, they could end the weekend around seven points behind Arsenal, and they happen to face Van den Berg’s Brentford on Saturday.
The 23-year-old centre-back has been an ever-present for Keith Andrews’ side this term. Liverpool may have Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah to test him at the G-Tech Community Stadium after Alexander Isak was sent off early in midweek’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Van den Berg appeared in four domestic cup games for Liverpool during their title-winning 2019/20 season. After some impressive loan spells, he felt he had the quality to compete for a starting place, but made his feelings clear when it became clear Klopp did not see things the same way.
“I had a good discussion with the management[in 2021]. They said they had received a positive report,” Van den Berg said in 2024. “I understood that I wasn’t going to play in front of Van Dijk, Matip or Konate. But I felt that I could back it right away. When I didn’t have the chance again, I said, think for yourself. I want to leave again.”
read more: ‘If you’re Liverpool’ – Arne Slott changes his tune after Alexander Isak injury and Newcastle bookingread more: Florian Wirtz says Liverpool’s reaction caught their attention, and German media agrees
The Dutch player was given further loans and spent time in Germany with Schalke and Mainz. His performance in the Bundesliga drew praise, but at the same time, the asking price increased to such an extent that there were concerns about whether he would be able to secure his departure.
“You have not shown confidence in me so far, but you still try to hinder my future. I want to continue to play every week and continue to develop myself,” he added.
Klopp had high praise for van den Berg from the moment he joined from PEC Zwolle, pushing for the defender’s involvement early in his career. “He has great talent, but he is still a young player and we already have a good team,” the German coach told club media.
“He accepted the challenge. He really wanted to join this team. I’m very happy for him. We sign right away or we sign for the future, but it’s always about the players and how they do it. The first impression here was really good and I’m happy to have him with us.”
Ultimately, it was Klopp’s replacement slot that allowed the Dutchman to leave just weeks after the new manager arrived at Anfield. Liverpool have secured a healthy transfer fee of £20m, which could rise to £25m with add-ons. Not a bad amount for a player who didn’t play a single Premier League game for the Reds.
Last season, Van den Berg was in the Brentford side and broke the hearts of the Bees with Darwin Nunez’s brace in the closing stages, just before shutting out Liverpool. This season he has featured in wins against Aston Villa, Manchester United and West Ham, and new manager Keith Andrews clearly likes what he sees in the game.
He is not the only Liverpool-linked player looking to spoil Saturday’s night for the Reds, with Caoich Kelleher and Jordan Henderson also starting in Monday’s win over West Ham, while Fabio Carvalho also trained with the second team in midweek. By the time the final whistle blows, he will be hoping to deliver another blow to his old club’s title.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Up to 60% off Premier League kits and merchandise
various
fanatic
Click here to purchase sale items
Fanatics has taken up to 60% off football kits and merchandise. Until Sunday, fans can find discounted products from Premier League clubs including Man United, Man City, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Spurs and more.
