Sepp van den Berg has revealed that he rejected Arne Slot's request to remain at Liverpool after enduring what he described as 'dark days' during his time on Merseyside. The Brentford defender is set to face his former club at Anfield on the final day of the 2025/26 season this Sunday.
A Difficult Start at Liverpool
Van den Berg joined Liverpool from Eredivisie side PEC Zwolle in 2019 as a 17-year-old and made his debut that year in an EFL Cup match against MK Dons. However, after just four cup appearances, he was relegated to the reserves and felt isolated while living alone in a new country. The loneliness took a toll on his mental health, to the point where he did not want to attend training and would sometimes cry on his way home.
Finding His Footing Through Loans
He regained his confidence through loan spells at Preston North End, Schalke, and Mainz, where he faced challenges such as injuries and relegation. Despite these setbacks, the experiences helped him grow as a player and a person.
Slot's Arrival and Van den Berg's Decision
When Arne Slot was appointed Liverpool manager in the summer of 2024, he offered van den Berg a second chance. Remarkably, Slot hails from the same town as van den Berg and had coached him as a child at PEC Zwolle's Under-13s. Van den Berg recalled Slot speaking to him as if he had a future at Liverpool, but by then, he had already made up his mind to leave.
Van den Berg said: 'It was a little bit awkward. It was just funny… coming from the same hometown, he’d coached me when I was a kid and now he’s the guy at Liverpool. He was just like, ‘How’s your off-season been? Have you been working? Are you ready for pre-season?’ I said, ‘Yes, of course.’ But in my own head, I was thinking, ‘Yeah, I’m ready but hopefully I’m not even coming back for pre-season,’ because I wanted to leave.'
Moving to Brentford
The centre-back signed a five-year deal with Brentford in August 2024 for a fee up to £25 million. Reflecting on his struggles, he said: 'It was definitely dark days. As a 17-year-old boy coming in from a different country, you’re not the priority. I was going home crying at some points and then not speaking to anyone. Do you call this depressed? I think it’s a bit too heavy a word. But I wasn’t feeling well. I wasn’t in the head space you are supposed to be in. I had no confidence and that really affected me as a footballer. I was just constantly doubting myself, like I was not good enough. I didn’t want to go to training, which is not me. Then, you know you are really down low.'
Advice for Young Players
Van den Berg urged clubs to better support young players moving abroad: 'Looking back, if someone had taken care of me as a young player, it would have helped me, for sure. For young guys going abroad, going to big clubs, I’d say to parents: ‘Be careful. Make sure the kid is OK.’ I have lovely parents, my mum FaceTimes me every day but still she didn’t know 100% how I felt. And for the clubs, definitely look out more for the younger players.'
He added: 'On the other hand, I did learn a lot from the situation. It made me the guy I am today. My injury at Schalke, as well – it makes you stronger. You learn so much because you go into such a dark space. It feels like your whole world dies in front of you because football is your world. Luckily, I survived it.'
Van den Berg has been a key player for Brentford this season, making 37 appearances, including a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at home in October.
