Arne Slot's former team-mate shares 'sincere' verdict on Feyenoord tenure ahead of Liverpool move

Arne Slot's former team-mate Bram van Polen believes the Dutchman deserves the opportunity to manage Liverpool after creating "something beautiful" at Feyenoord.

Van Polen shared the PEC Zwolle dressing room with Slot for four years between 2009 and 2013 as the 45-year-old, then an attacking midfielder, joined from Sparta Rotterdam for the final years of his playing career.

He will be appointed Jurgen Klopp's successor at Anfield after the German decided to end his glittering nine-year career with the Reds due to exhaustion. Last month, Liverpool agreed a compensation package in the region of £9m with Feyenoord for Slot - who is expected to be officially announced as the new boss later this month.

Darwin Nunez transfer interest could force Liverpool's hand as next major decision weighed up

Cody Gakpo becomes latest Liverpool player to speak on 'curious' Arne Slot appointment

And Van Polen believes his former team-mate is deserving of the opportunity to test himself at Anfield after securing Eredivisie and Dutch Cup success since his appointment at De Kuip in 2021.

"I like that and he deserves this too," Van Polen told ESPN after PEC Zwolle's 5-0 defeat at Feyenoord on Sunday.

"Arne has really created something beautiful here. He has got Feyenoord playing football again in a way that they have not often seen in De Kuip.

"I think Arne has gotten enough feathers up his ass, but in addition to being a very good trainer, he is also a very good person - and that is often even more important to me. He is a sincere and very pure person."

In his post-match press conference on Sunday afternoon, Slot admitted that he had watched parts of Liverpool's 4-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the day.

"I saw a few minutes of