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It was telling how quickly Jurgen Klopp moved to bring Pep Lijnders back to Liverpool.

Shortly after the highly-rated Dutch coach was sacked by NEC Nijmegen in May, Klopp made it clear that there was still a job for him at Melwood and the offer was quickly accepted.

Lijnders had walked away from Liverpool in January after being handed a shot at management but Klopp never held that against him.

He understood his reasons for going and he knew the value to Liverpool of securing his services once again. Lijnders was invited to the Champions League final in Kiev.

The start of pre-season on Monday marked Lijnders' return to the fold. There he was on the edge of the training pitches alongside Klopp, second assistant coach Peter Krawietz, goalkeeping coach John Achterberg and head of fitness and conditioning Andreas Kornmayer.

(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

The one notable absentee was Zeljko Buvac, who hasn't been involved since he walked away from the club in late April.

Over the course of this summer the chances of seeing the Bosnian-Serb back at work as Klopp's first assistant coach have looked increasingly remote.

Barring a dramatic turnaround, Klopp's 17-year association with the man he described as 'The Brain' of his backroom staff appears to be over.

Liverpool have always insisted that Buvac's surprise exit was down to personal reasons rather than a falling out with the manager.

They insist the situation is unchanged – that Buvac remains a club employee but is still absent from first-team duties.

(Image: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Klopp has no plans to make any further additions to his coaching staff over the coming weeks and that points to Lijnders being given greater responsibility.

Previously, the 35-year-old was Liverpool's first-team development coach - the key link between Melwood and the Kirkby Academy.

Promoted to the senior coaching set-up by Brendan Rodgers in 2015 and then retained by Klopp, Lijnders proved a big hit with players and staff alike. He's a student of the game who commands respect and his enthusiasm on the training field is infectious.

As well as conducting one to one sessions, Lijnders ran the 'Talent Group' which sees the best of the Academy youngsters invited to train at Melwood once a week. Academy graduates like Ben Woodburn and Trent Alexander-Arnold have credited him with playing an important part in their rise up the ranks.

(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Interestingly, this time around Lijnders' job title has yet to be announced. Maybe Liverpool are waiting until Buvac's future has officially been resolved.

What's clear is that the Dutchman will have a bigger part to play in 2018/19. He's a trusted lieutenant whose contribution is valued by massively by Klopp.