Adams met Metgod in 2005 during a coaching spell with Feyenoord
Portsmouth's new first-team coach John Metgod says manager Tony Adams' "Dutch" influence was a key reason behind his move to England.
The former Holland international has spent over 20 years playing, coaching and scouting for Dutch club Feyenoord.
"Tony is not the sort of coach to think along the typical English style," Metgod, 50, told BBC Sport.
"He thinks along the Dutch lines in the way of training and I'm convinced I can help him in that sense."
Adams has been searching for a replacement for Joe Jordan, who left Portsmouth to join former boss Harry Redknapp at Tottenham last week.
Former Arsenal team-mate Martin Keown rejected an offer to join Adams' backroom staff, but Metgod said he had no hesitation in linking up with the former Arsenal and England captain.
In 2005 Adams spent six months as a trainee coach at Feyenoord, working with the Under-21 side, where he got to know Metgod.
As a coach, he is more quiet and thoughtful
John Metgod on Tony Adams
After a year as manager of Wycombe Wanderers, Adams had gone to the Rotterdam-based team, where Metgod was working as first-team coach, to expand his European knowledge.
"I invited him over a couple of times to have a meal at my place and we talked about football," said former midfielder Metgod, who made 21 appearances for the Netherlands.
"It was just very good to be able to talk with someone of his stature, the way he thinks about football and the way I think about it.
"Ever since that day, we have kept in touch, so when he called me there was no way I was going to change my mind about Portsmouth."
Adams earned a reputation as a tough-tackling centre-back during his 18-year career, but Metgod thinks the Pompey manager's coaching philosophy is in complete contrast to his playing days.
"As a central defender, he put everything in and was very enthusiastic," said Metgod, who played for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as well as Nottingham Forest and Tottenham during his own career.
"But as a coach, he is more quiet and thoughtful. He seems to be thinking very carefully about what he wants to do and how he wants to change things.
"Maybe that is what he has learned since coming to Holland - he thinks along those (the traditional Dutch way) lines in the way of playing and training."
Metgod is excited at the prospect of returning to England, where he spent four years playing for Forest and Spurs between 1984 and 1988.
He is fondly remembered for thundering in a 40-yard free-kick for Forest against West Ham in 1986, a goal which included a 10-yard run-up complete with an amusing finger-pointing celebration.
He will specifically work on improving the technical skills of the first team and revealed he is keen to implement his own brand of the "Total Football" philosophy made famous by former Dutch coach Rinus Michels in the 1970s.
"Rinus Michels was one of a kind, so it's very difficult to do it the same as he did, but certainly I believe in his way of controlling a game when you are in possession of the ball," he added.
"You have to play as a team and everybody has to think along the same lines, to be able and keep the ball and wait for the right moment to go forward and create something."
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Bookmark with:
What are these?