John Heitinga is the new assistant coach of Arne Slot at Liverpool, the club announced on Wednesday via official channels. According to earlier reports from the Daily Mail had the Reds also had other candidates in mind, but the former defender came out on top of the discussions.

The former defender has been out of work since the end of May after leaving West Ham United in the wake of David Moyes. Heitinga was the Scottish manager's right-hand man at the London Stadium last season.

The previously clubless coach was previously at the helm of Ajax, where he took over from the then dismissed Alfred Schreuder in January 2023.

Heitinga was in charge of the Amsterdam team for 22 matches, but saw Feyenoord win the national title and PSV the TOTO KNVB Cup. Sven Mislintat decided not to continue with the Dutchman and appointed Maurice Steijn as his successor, who soon had to leave the field again.

Heitinga was close to a job as head coach at FC Nordsjaelland this summer, but that fell through. The Danes chose Jens Olsen. “Heitinga was interviewed in Farum (town in Denmark, ed.) to get the job, but lost the competition to Olsen, who convinced the club management in the interviews,” journalist Farzam Abolhosseini wrote at the time.

Is a move to Anfield a sensitive issue?

It remains to be seen how Liverpool fans view the possible arrival of Heitinga. The Dutchman played for arch-rivals Everton for over four and a half years during his playing career. Heitinga made 140 appearances for Liverpool. the Toffeesbefore moving to Fulham in early 2014.

Six months after his transfer to London, Heitinga left for Hertha BSC, where he would play fourteen matches. The former defender ended his career at Ajax in early 2016 due to physical problems. He then started his coaching career in the youth academy of the Amsterdammers.

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