Former St. Pauli player Jackson Irvine has shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with Flashscore.
The Australian midfielder is currently plying his trade with Cerezo Osaka in Japan but took a moment to reflect on his time spent under Brighton head coach Fabian Huerzeler.
During his tenure at St. Pauli, Irvine served as captain when Huerzeler guided the team into the Bundesliga.
I worked with him for a year and a half when he was an assistant before taking the head coach role.
He held numerous tactical sessions, and I don’t think any of us realised the impact he would have on our game in such a short space of time.
His attention to detail was like nothing I had encountered before. There was an everyday demand to add something new to our game and to constantly endure what was necessary to take that final step as a team and rise to greater heights.
Everything came down to the tiniest details, like the positioning of your feet in the box during defence. It was all about the yard or even inches in some cases—such was the level of detail.
Everything we did had purpose. You would never find yourself in a game situation you hadn’t prepared for in training.
Of course, we didn’t always execute everything perfectly. We weren’t Barcelona! But we had the clearest picture of what we were trying to achieve, and everyone was on the same wavelength.
This clarity led to astonishing success over the following 18 months he managed the team.
Interestingly, Irvine also hinted that Huerzeler could one day take the reins at Bayern Munich.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if he aimed for a job at Bayern. He’s a Bavarian guy; it’s the club from his hometown, and I think he would relish that opportunity.
Without a doubt, I believe he will get that chance. He’s my age, 33, and at some point, he’ll make the next step up, but right now he’s in the perfect place at Brighton.
It’s a club with a lot of player turnover, yet it seems to maintain high standards. They consistently perform and play the type of football that maximises the potential of this group of players. I think he’s only gotten stronger since arriving there.
He’s had his share of setbacks too, but he’s been able to come through, unlike many Premier League managers who don’t survive those periods.
He did have a rough patch earlier this year, but the club backed him, and he emerged even stronger.
He’s an incredibly ambitious guy and always looking ahead. I hope one day we’ll have a pint and reminisce, but I wish him all the best.
