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RAFA'S 'APPRENTICE' ARRIVES AT MELWOOD
Jimmy Rice
20 August 2008
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Ever wondered how Rafa Benitez selects his backroom staff; how someone gets to join the modern day bootroom?
In some cases, such as assistant manager Sammy Lee, the reasons for an appointment are there for all to see.
But with others, like Melwood's newest recruit Gonzalo Rodriguez, the selection procedure takes a little longer.
The club's new fitness coach went through a year-long interview process before hearing the words 'You're hired'.
"The boss got my CV about a year ago," explains Rafa's new apprentice. "We began to speak by internet sometimes, but really it was only chatting.
"Then he began to ask me questions like, 'What would you do in this situation?' It was like a year-long interview!
"Then I was on my holidays and I got a call from Rafa saying, 'Hi, are you doing anything?' He told me to come to England the next day."
The time taken to finally arrive at Anfield should not disguise the fact that Gonzalo's CV is as eclectic as it is impressive. His achievements in 29 years would earn him a place on any reality TV show, never mind a job working alongside Gary Ablett as fitness coach to the reserves.
Prior to arriving in England, he divided his time between three jobs: PE teacher; fitness trainer to professional sportsmen; and under-15s coach at La Liga side Valladolid. As if all this wasn't enough to juggle, Gonzalo has spent the last few years working towards a doctorate.
Oh, and he also used to play professional handball - even representing Spain at youth level.
"A lot of people ask me how I can go from handball to football," he says.
"There are two aspects. One is the basic fitness preparation, which is effectively the same; the other is looking at the different functions of each sport - like in football you would focus on your foot and therefore you have to do the applications for different skills."
Another way Gonzalo is having to adapt concerns the age of Rafa's reserves, the majority of whom are in their late teens.
He explains: "The kind of work we do is not the same as with the first team. Whereas they can focus on muscular work, you can't do that in the same way when you are 19; you can't do the same things as 27-year-olds.
"We cannot do the same exercises but the young players have to be ready in case Rafa calls them up, so you have to train them step by step. You have to find a balance."
Back to his CV, and Gonzalo may be a native of Spain, but several years spent travelling the world means he brings to Melwood a perspective of the wider, non-footballing world.
"I always say that I am not from Spain, I am from the world," he claims. "I have lived in the US, Cambodia and Portugal, so I enjoy travelling and for me it is a good option to be here.
"I was in Cambodia for a year because my brother is the director of the Red Cross there and he told me it would be a good experience to go. He told me I would see things in a different way, because everything is different there. I thought it was fantastic, a wonderful place."
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