An ex-Netherlands international and former Melbourne Heart striker Gerald Sibon has joined Adelaide United’s coaching staff.
Sibon has joined the Reds as a Performance Coach and will work closely with boss Gertjan Verbeek and assistant Carl Veart.
Part of Sibon’s role will encompass youth football and the progression to the senior level, ensuring a more cohesive high-performance framework is implemented across the club.
Coaching staff complete. ✅
Gerald will be in the dugout tonight for our pre-season friendly with MetroStars. #AUFC
📰 Read More: https://t.co/fms6vp4jfn pic.twitter.com/W1gpDHTPiR
— Adelaide United (@AdelaideUnited) July 16, 2019
The 45-year-old will also put his playing experience to good use, working with the club’s attackers to improve that area of the Reds’ game.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for me to be here at Adelaide United,” he said on the Reds’ official website.
“I am very passionate about all levels of football and I’m looking forward to working alongside Gertjan, Carl, and Eugene for the upcoming season to develop our senior players, but also the younger talent we have in our youth teams.
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“Having played in the A-League before, I have experience in this competition and have very fond memories of my time in Australia.
“The hard work begins now and I cannot wait to get deep into preparations for the new season.”
As well as playing for AJax, PSV and Heerenveen in his homeland, Sibon also played three seasons in the English Premier League with Sheffield Wednesday.
He spent one season in the Hyundai A-League at the Heart, scoring seven goals in 27 games in the 2010/11 Season.
His managerial experience includes the last four years as an assistant at Heerenveen.
“Gerald had an outstanding playing career and he possesses exceptional knowledge of the game,” Adelaide United Director of Football Bruce Djite said.
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“To add Gerald to our backroom staff for the upcoming season is another significant coup for the club and especially for the players.
“Our backroom staff is now fully in-place and in-line with the culture we’re looking to develop over the next few seasons and longer-term at the club.”
