Former Liverpool assistant coach John Heitinga has joined Tottenham Hotspur
Former Ajax head coach John Heitinga(Image: NOS)
John Heitinga has made a return to the Premier League following his dismissal as Ajax head coach back in November. The former Everton defender had stepped down from his position as an assistant coach at Liverpool to take over at the Eredivisie giants last summer.
The Dutchman had been linked with a return to Anfield following his departure from Ajax. But he has instead joined one of the Reds’ rivals.
Tottenham Hotspur confirmed his appointment as assistant coach to Thomas Frank on Thursday, with Heitinga becoming the second member of Arne Slot’s Premier League title-winning backroom team to join Spurs after goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte.
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Following Heitinga’s appointment, Frank said: “John is a great addition to our coaching staff. His ability, personality and character will add huge value both on and off the pitch.
“He had an impressive playing career across Europe – including five years in the Premier League – and with the Dutch national team.
“As a former defender, that will be one of his main responsibilities on the training pitch, and he brings great coaching and management experiences from all levels of the game, which will really help us moving forward.”
Heitinga had spent the 2023/24 season as first-team coach at West Ham United under David Moyes, before joining Liverpool in the summer of 2024. Following his Anfield exit, he was replaced by Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Heitinga’s agent, Rob Jansen, revealed last year that he had warned his client against returning to Ajaxwhere he was previously a player and interim head coach, and that the Reds had wanted to extend his contract after winning the Premier League title in his only season at Anfield.
The Dutchman is not the first Liverpool assistant to take up a coaching position with one of the Reds’ rivals, with Jurgen Klopp’s former number two, Pep Lijnders, now Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Man City.
Meanwhile, it was confirmed earlier this week that the Reds’ former throw-in coach, Thomas Gronnemark, had joined Premier League-leaders Arsenal on a consultancy basis.
