Arne Slot returned to one of his former clubs in the Netherlands in recent days, with Liverpool having a rare weekend off.
In the six-day period between the Reds’ most recent match (the home win over Newcastle) and their next fixture (the Champions League visit to Paris Saint-Germain), the 46-year-old took advantage of the downtime by going back to his homeland, and specifically to a stadium where he previously played.
Slot returns to Zwolle to see revamped portrait
As reported by Vincent de Vries for De Stentor, the LFC head coach paid €2,500 to Dutch artist Henk Heideveld to ask for a painting of him at the gallery of his former club PEC Zwolle to be redone.
The updated verson was unveiled at the MAC³PARK Stadion in recent days, with Slot in attendance to see it being presented.
The Liverpool boss was delighted with the new painting, commenting: “You can even see the cracks in my lips. I can totally recognise myself in this”; and it also earned the seal of approval from Arne’s wife Mirjam.
Zwolle can be proud of Slot’s achievements
Slot’s playing career began and ended at Zwolle, with the now 46-year-old playing 195 times for the club across those two spells.
Although it’s as a coach that he’s risen to international fame, he was an accomplished player within his native Netherlands, scoring 89 goals in a career spanning 406 senior games and briefly sampling European football with NAC Breda, who faced Newcastle in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup.
It’s clear from his presence in Zwolle’s gallery that he continues to be held in very high regard at the club, and they must be rightly proud of what he’s achieved in management, with Liverpool looking near-certainties to win the Premier League two years after he led Feyenoord to Eredivisie glory.
Slot had no hesitation in reaching into his own pocket to ask Heideveld for an improved painting, with that desire for the highest standards also reflected in his work at Anfield, where he’s not been afraid to voice constructive criticism in public even when his team have been winning with impressive regularity.
At least now he has a truly life-like portrait at the home of his former club!
