Tottenham Hotspur have appointed former Premier League-winning coach John Heitinga as First Team Assistant Coach.
Heitinga worked as Assistant Coach to Arne Slot at Liverpool last season as the Reds won the league title.
He left Anfield at the end of the season to become Head Coach of Ajax, but was sacked less than six months after rejoining the club where he had also been a player.
Spurs are currently 14th in the Premier League with only one win in their last six league matches and Head Coach Thomas 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 started his coaching career at Ajax in 2016 after retiring as a player. He worked with the club’s youth teams and took charge of the first team on an interim basis for the second half of the 2022-23 season.
He moved to England in time for the following campaign – joining West Ham United as a First Team Assistant Coach before moving to Liverpool the following summer.
As a player he made more than 400 senior appearances for Ajax, Atletico Madrid, Everton, Fulham and Hertha BSC, while winning 87 caps for the Netherlands.