Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Johnny Heitinga as assistant first-team coach.
The 42-year-old previously held the position at West Ham United and Liverpool, prior to his appointment as Ajax head coach last summer.
Spurs 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.
“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 was sacked at Ajax on November 6 with interim coach Fred Grim overseeing six victories and four defeats across 11 matches since, including the side’s 6-0 Dutch Cup loss at AZ on Wednesday, in which former Spurs striker Troy Parrott scored a hat-trick.
Heitinga only returned to the Dutch side at the start of the 2025-26 campaign, leaving his role as assistant coach under Arne Slot at Liverpool, signing a two-year deal.
The former defender won just five of his 15 games at the helm of the Amsterdam-based club, leaving them fourth in the Eredivisie and bottom of the 36-team Champions League league phase.
Heitinga previously stepped up from his role as Jong Ajax — Ajax’s second team which plays in the Dutch second tier — boss and spent six months as interim head coach of the first team in the second half of the 2022-23 season. He then spent time as an assistant to David Moyes and West Ham, before joining Liverpool in July 2024.
As a player, Heitinga came through the ranks at Ajax before playing for Atletico Madrid, Everton, Fulham and Hertha Berlin. The former defender ended his career back at Ajax in 2015-2016.
Spurs are 14th in the Premier League and return to action on Saturday at home to West Ham.
What will Heitinga bring to Spurs?
Analysis by Tottenham correspondent Elias Burke
With assistant Matt Wells departing in December to take the head coach role at the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer, Heitinga appears to be his replacement on Frank’s first-team staff.
Wells was a highly respected training ground coach at Spurs, and had significant responsibility, particularly under Ange Postecoglou, in delivering sessions. Frank has a greater presence in training than his predecessor, but Heitinga will join first-team assistants Justin Cochrane, Andreas Georgson and Chris Haslam in helping the head coach on the training pitch and in the dugout on matchday.
Heitinga was a significant part of Liverpool’s title-winning season last year, serving as a first-team coach within Arne Slot’s staff. He helped with improving Ryan Gravenberch, who developed into one of the league’s standout midfielders under his guidance. He helped mould the Dutchman into a No 6, simplifying the role and providing clear instructions to carry out.
At Spurs, he will have the opportunity to work with young, high-potential midfielders like Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr, where he will hope to have a similar influence. He also worked with Liverpool’s forwards and cites several top-level coaches, including Johan Cruyff, Louis van Gaal and Pep Guardiola among his inspirations.
With Frank’s attack still yet to click, Heitinga’s experience working with and improving Liverpool’s forward line could prove an important addition to the Dane’s staff at a crucial time.