Conscientious Achterberg happy to add to workload

Oct 6 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

TRANMERE’S John Achterberg is adjusting to the shifting priorities of his new role at Prenton Park in a way you could only expect from man with a consuming passion for goalkeeping.

The fiercely dedicated professional player now shares time with the deeply committed goalkeeping coach.

The equation can add up to 12-hour working days. But every minute is a labour of love for the Dutchman who was won a place in the hearts of supporters and the Wirral public at large during his nine-year association with Tranmere.

Achterberg passed the landmark of 300 senior games for Rovers last month. He is back between the first-team posts because Danny Coyne, the Wales international signed as Tranmere’s No.1 goalkeeper during the summer, has been sidelined for a fortnight by a calf injury.

Achterberg may well be called upon again in Tranmere’s League One encounter with Southend at Roots Hall this afternoon. The Rovers party are sure to arrive home late tonight after a long journey from the south coast – hopefully with an unbeaten run extended to nine games. But Achterberg will be up bright and early to work with Tranmere’s school of excellence goalkeepers tomorrow.

During the week he works with Coyne and the youth team keepers by day and the school of excellence keepers on some evenings. Days off, usually Wednesdays, are often given over to Achterberg’s own goalkeeping schools at venues on the Wirral and beyond.

Achterberg said: “The new role is making very long days. I am out at 8am and coming home at 8:30pm on five days, just seeing my family for an hour or two in the afternoon. I am very busy but that is the way I like it – and hopefully everyone is improving from the coaching.

“Now I’m in the first-team again I need to take some rest on Fridays, to focus on the Saturday games. I need to charge my body for the game so I’m 100% right to get through them. So if we have a school on a Friday I let the other coaches run it.”

The injury problems that cut back Achterberg’s first-team opportunities over the last two seasons appear to be behind him now. There is no let-up in the personal work that helped make him the most consistent goalkeeper in League One over the first half of the decade.

He enjoys the pressures of first-team duty once again and is encouraged by Tranmere’s assured start to the season.

“Things look all right with the team at the moment,” Achterberg said. “We’re unbeaten in eight games, although it is important we get back to winnings way after three draws.”

The 36-year-old is by no means new to coaching responsibilities at Tranmere. He worked with the school of excellence and youth teams for a number of years, acquiring top UEFA qualifications along the way, and launched his own goalkeeping schools.

However, coaching became an official part of Achterberg’s duties at Prenton Park when he signed a new two-year contract early in the summer.

October will be a busy month. He will be heavily involved in a goalkeeping school for eight to 16-year-olds run by Tranmere in the schools half-term holiday on October 23 and 24.

Meanwhile Achterberg is widening the net for his own goalkeeping courses.

In addition to regular Wednesday night sessions at Bromborough, Achterberg is starting a new course in Liverpool, at the Litherland Sports Centre next Wednesday, October 10 and another in North Wales at Flint Town United FC on Wednesday, October 31.

The idea, Achterberg says, is to help improve goalkeeping standards across the area and perhaps find youngsters who are good enough to join Tranmere’s own set up. The hope is that the courses might unearth the next Danny Coyne, a homegrown goalkeeper who makes the professional grade with Tranmere.

An application form for the Tranmere goalkeeping courses can be found on the club’s official website: www.tranmererovers.co.uk

Details about the John Achterberg goalkeeping courses at Bromborough, Litherland and Flint by e-mail from john@johnachterberg.com or by telephone 07812 706311.