Ten years ago, Andoni Iraola was picking up an 'Unsung Hero' award in a Manhattan pub. Today, he's walking through the doors at Anfield as Liverpool's new head coach. The journey between those two moments tells you everything about why the Reds believe they've found their man.

The setting was the Playwright Pub in New York, just a stone's throw from the Empire State Building. Patrick Vieira was handing over the gong, recognising Iraola's contribution to New York City FC during their MLS campaign. David Villa, his long-time friend, was there to present it. The night went long, the fans celebrated, and less than a week later, Iraola announced his retirement.

Vieira's words that night feel prophetic now. "A lot of players get a lot of credit but the work he does on and off the field deserves recognition," the former Arsenal midfielder said. "There are players who work really hard for the team but never get mentioned and those kind of guys are really quite special because they sacrifice themselves for the team."

That selfless mentality has defined Iraola's coaching career ever since. From 40 appearances as a player at NYCFC to managing some of Europe's most resource-strapped clubs, he's made a habit of punching above his weight.

Take his stint at AEK Larnaca in Cyprus. One season, job done. He guided them to the Europa League group stages for only the second time in their history before heading home to Spain. At Mirandes, a second division side tipped for relegation, he steered them to comfortable mid-table safety during the 2019-20 season whilst Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool were conquering the world.

But it was his three years at Rayo Vallecano where Iraola really announced himself. After earning promotion by beating Girona, he masterminded a first-ever La Liga double over Barcelona. This at a club where there was no tap water in the dressing rooms and the Vallecas stadium lacked wifi access. Exceeding expectations with nothing? That's become his calling card.

Darren Randolph, the former Bournemouth goalkeeper, offers insight into what Liverpool can expect. "I have to be honest, at first I wasn't too sure," he told Redmen TV this week. "I wasn't too sure of him, wasn't too sure of his staff, how it was all gonna go, from the first couple of days. But after about two, three weeks, I thought: 'This guy - he knows what he's doing.'"

The transformation Randolph describes sounds familiar to anyone who's watched Liverpool adapt to new systems over the years. "He has his own philosophy, his way of playing, and he's gonna stick to that, and he's gonna find people that will fit into the way that he wants to play," the keeper continued. "He's a great guy. There's no ego about him. He doesn't really fall out with people. He just has a weird knack of just getting everybody on board."

At Bournemouth, Iraola worked miracles with the Premier League's smallest match-day revenue. Despite selling Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez and most recently Antoine Semenyo in the last year alone, the Cherries continued to thrive. When Dominic Solanke left for Tottenham in a £60m deal, they didn't miss a beat.

Here's what's truly impressive: Iraola coached that quartet to the level where Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Manchester City came calling. The recruitment team deserves credit for spotting rough diamonds, but each player left the south coast owing Iraola a debt of gratitude for their development.

Richard Hughes, who appointed Iraola at Bournemouth three years ago, was reportedly effusive in his recommendations when Liverpool came calling. The timing suggests this move was more calculated than it appeared. AC Milan and Crystal Palace had tracked Iraola, but talks with the Italian giants cooled just as Arne Slot's position became untenable.

Slot learned of his sacking during an end-of-season review on Saturday morning of May 30. The speed of Iraola's appointment suggests his IDUB Global agency, with whom Hughes enjoys a strong relationship, had been quietly sounded out beforehand. Perhaps it was always going to be Iraola or nobody for Liverpool when Slot's time was up.

Randolph's final assessment should excite every Liverpool supporter: "Andoni working with Richard Hughes again - who's a brilliant man, top, top man - those two working back together again at a club the size of Liverpool with the players at their disposal. It could be unbelievable."

From Manhattan pub to Anfield, via Cyprus, Spain and the south coast, Iraola has always found a way to exceed expectations. Now he gets to find out what magic he can work when the resources finally match his ambition.