New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of. And so it was for Andoni Iraola.
Though the Basque spent 14 years playing at Athletic Club in Bilbao, appearing 510 times for their first team and capped seven times by Spain, Iraola credits his year at New York City FC (NYCFC) as a crucial part of his journey.
It began in the summer of 2015, when Iraola lived in a swanky Manhattan apartment in the Upper West side, very close to the edge of Central Park, with his wife Itziar and their first daughter.
Iraola acknowledged this week that joining NYCFC, who are owned by Manchester City’s City Football Group, was a key part of his career and formed his first step into coaching.
Playing under boss Patrick Vieira, his list of team-mates was a star-studded cast: Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, David Villa.
Playing alongside that trio was instrumental in Iraola gaining a richer understanding of the game. As a right back for most of his career, he learned to invert to become a deep-lying midfielder when his team had the ball, which he believes opened his eyes more to the tactical side of the game.
New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola credits his year at New York City with helping his move into coaching
Iraola joined the City Football Group club at the same time as Frank Lampard
Iraola was part of a star-studded New York City team that included Andrea Pirlo and David Villa
At full back, he just had to keep tabs on the opposition left winger – now, he had to control everything. Seeing the game in this new light was important to Iraola’s tactical style, which he further forged managing in Cyprus and then Spain with Mirandes and Rayo Vallecano.
‘I was lucky enough to have Vieira as a coach and he made me see the game differently,’ Iraola told Daily Mail Sport in an exclusive interview in 2024. ‘We used to play almost like Manchester City. I started to understand the positional game better, the possession-based football. They are tools I’ve used after.
‘Patrick had discipline and structure. It definitely helped me a lot. In midfield you’ve got to be in touch with everyone. It demands a good understanding of the game and it’s not a coincidence that the very big coaches come from the midfield positions. There aren’t many full backs!’
Though Iraola learned many things on the pitch during his 40 appearances in Major League Soccer, it was on his days off that he would really thrive. Baseball, basketball, NFL, ice hockey, you name it, Iraola was there, and even now, he still plays an NFL version of fantasy football.
He believes that the tactical side of NFL was eye-opening in terms of the blocks, the spaces left open, exploiting areas of the pitch and the whole methodology of it which is similar to set-pieces. Iraola was fascinated by the playbook that teams have, sometimes reaching 200 set-plays, though he limits his set-pieces to four or five routines.
Aside from going to sporting events, the Liverpool boss would make a point of visiting a different neighbourhood each day that he had a free afternoon.
He would dine out with his wife in various New York districts – Williamsburg, in Brooklyn, was his favourite spot – and have a long lunch. The pair would make an effort to strike up conversations with strangers, which helped Iraola’s English.
When he retired as a player in November 2016 to begin his coaching journey, NYCFC’s official site published a glowing reference.
Iraola believes he started to see the game differently with a focus on possession-based football
Iraola had moved to MLS after a lengthy spell playing for Athletic Club in La Liga
Iraola played at right back for Athletic Club, but believes his understanding of the game was enhanced after switching to a deep-lying midfield role at New York City
‘His playing legacy will be of someone who was the epitome of consistent excellence and selfless teamwork,’ it read. ‘Off the pitch, he’ll be remembered as a person who showed humility and professionalism every single day he was at the club.’
Manager Vieira said Iraola was the ‘perfect image of a team player’ and ‘everyone loves him’, while captain and former Spain World Cup winner Villa – who he is still friends with – said: ‘He is a wonderful person and player and I wish him all the best in the future. He knows he’ll have a friend for the rest of his life in me.’
Iraola has been back to New York City several times since leaving, including in the last two pre-seasons with Bournemouth. On Tuesday, he will be back for the second leg of Liverpool’s summer tour, taking on Wrexham here in the Big Apple.
For the new boss, it will be a chance to reflect on just how far he has come since those long lunches on the streets of Williamsburg and nights watching the Brooklyn Nets and New York Giants. It was in this city that the Liverpool manager forged his very own playbook for success.
