.jpg) Heitinga as manager ofAjax in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Gijsbert Alan Heitinga[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1983-11-15)15 November 1983 (age 42)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1987–1990 | ARC | ||
| 1990–2001 | Ajax | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2008 | Ajax | 152 | (17) |
| 2008–2009 | Atlético Madrid | 28 | (3) |
| 2009–2014 | Everton | 115 | (2) |
| 2014 | Fulham | 14 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Hertha BSC | 13 | (1) |
| 2015–2016 | Ajax | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 324 | (24) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2013 | Netherlands | 87 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2021–2023 | Jong Ajax | ||
| 2023 | Ajax (Interim) | ||
| 2024–2025 | Liverpool (assistant coach) | ||
| 2025 | Ajax | ||
Medal record | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Gijsbert Alan Heitinga (born 15 November 1983) is a Dutchfootball coach and former player who was most recently the head coach ofEredivisie clubAjax.
A product of theAjax Academy, he played for their first squad from 2001 to 2008. After a one-year spell atAtlético Madrid in Spain, he signed forEverton in 2009.[4] JoiningFulham for six months in January 2014,[5] he then signed with German sideHertha BSC the following summer, signing a two-year deal with the Berlin-based club.[6] In June 2015, he returned to his boyhood club Ajax for a single season[7] before retiring in 2016.
After making his debut for theNetherlands national team in February 2004, Heitinga earned over 85 caps and represented his country at twoWorld Cups (2006 and2010) and threeEuropean Championships (2004,2008, and2012). In 2008, he was namedDutch Footballer of the Year.
Heitinga was born inAlphen aan den Rijn, South Holland,[8] and raised inAmsterdam.[9] He is of Indonesian descent through his paternal grandfather.[10]
Heitinga was part of theAjax youth team, before making his debut for the first team on 26 August 2001 againstFeyenoord. He was part a new wave of talent that fielded the likes of homegrown starsRafael van der Vaart andWesley Sneijder, as well asZlatan Ibrahimović andCristian Chivu. He was featured in a documentary entitledAjax: Hark the Herald Angel Sings alongside Ajax academy pupilsGregory van der Wiel,Mitchell Donald,Jeffrey Sarpong,Donovan Slijngard,Nordin Amrabat,Evander Sno andJeremain Lens.
Heitinga quickly established himself as a strong addition to the team and became first-choice player under coachCo Adriaanse and laterRonald Koeman until he suffered a serious knee injury which kept him on the sidelines for over six months. His comeback was short-lived, as he played only one game before suffering yet another injury which again sentenced him to a long period of recovery.
He made his second comeback at the start of the2003–04 season and impressed in his first game since injury againstVolendam, from where he went on to become a first choice central defender for the remainder of the season as well as a popular figure amongst the fans. When it was announced that he would be leaving Ajax at the end of the2007–08 season, the fans gave him a fitting send-off by displaying a mosaic of him on the stands.
Heitinga moved toAtlético Madrid at the end of the 2007–08 season for a fee of £8.8 million.[11] His first season in Spain ended with Heitinga making 32 appearances – 27 inLa Liga – and scoring three goals for Atlético.
In September 2009, aged 25, Heitinga joined EnglishPremier League clubEverton on a five-year contract for a fee of around €7.04 million (£6.2 million).[12][13][14] He was given squad number 5, though he was not eligible to represent Everton in theUEFA Europa League, having already played forAtlético Madrid in the qualifying stage of theChampions League. Heitinga made his debut for Everton on 13 September againstFulham after coming on for the injuredPhil Neville.[15] In his first season for the club, Heitinga made 35 appearances in all competitions.[16] He played mostly as defensive midfielder, covering the absence of several players and showing great spirit and adaptability.
In the2010–11 FA Cup, Everton held holdersChelsea 1–1 in a replay atStamford Bridge, sending the tie topenalties. Heitinga took Everton's fourth and scored. Phil Neville went on to score the winning penalty for Everton. Later that season, Heitinga scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw at home toBirmingham City.[17] Heitinga was voted Everton's Player of the Season for2011–12 by the club's supporters.[18] He finally had an extended run of play as centre back, showing the passion and the commanding skills he always put on the field in the orange shirt. He then scored against Newcastle on the final day of the season with an unmarked header which put Everton 3–0, his second Premier League goal and his first in over 14 months.[18]
The2012–13 season proved to be less successful for Heitinga as managerDavid Moyes opted to playPhil Jagielka andSylvain Distin for much of Everton's season.[19] Heitinga had to wait until an injury to Jagielka gave him a sustained run in the team but poor performances which included him being culpable for all three goals in a 3–3 draw withAston Villa led to him being criticised by fans.[20] However, in April Moyes praised Heitinga's mental strength for battling back after his earlier form in the season would have "broken" most players.[citation needed] Despite this, Heitinga revealed that he had rejected Everton's offer of a new contract at the end of the year.[21] In January 2014, Everton andWest Ham United agreed terms for the transfer of Heitinga. He turned down the move however saying: "You have to be convinced that you are taking the right step and I was not".[22] He scored his last goal for the team in his last outing, Everton's 4–0 FA Cup win againstStevenage before eventually joiningFulham on a free transfer on transfer deadline day.
On 31 January 2014, Heitinga signed forFulham for a six-month deal on a free transfer.[23] In a 3–1 loss againstChelsea on 1 March, Heitinga scored the only goal for Fulham.[24] On 23 May 2014, he was released from the club at the end of his contract.[25]
Heitinga signed a two-year contract with German clubHertha BSC in June 2014.[26]
On 25 June 2015,Ajax announced that Heitinga would return to the club, joining on a free transfer from German sideHertha BSC. He signed a one-year contract with the option of a second year.[27] However, after playing only twoEredivisie matches in the first half of the season, Heitinga decided to retire from professional football on 1 February 2016.[28]
Having been part of Dutch international youth teams, Heitinga made his senior debut for theNetherlands on 18 February 2004 in a friendly game against theUnited States and made an immediate impact. Several months later, he scored his first goal from aRafael van der Vaart free kick in a friendly againstGreece.
Although he did not take part in qualifying, Heitinga was later included in the squad for theEuro 2004 in Portugal since theDutch under-21 team had failed to qualify for theEuropean Championships. He started as first choice right back in the first two group stage matches but was suspended for the last match when he was sent-off for two bookable offences. After serving his suspension, he returned in the quarter-final againstSweden as a second-half substitute forEdgar Davids and converted his penalty as the Dutch won 5–4 on penalties. The Dutch, however, were eliminated by the hostsPortugal in the semi-finals.
Heitinga's development as a player suffered two dips in form in the 2004–05 and the 2005–06 seasons, respectively. Despite club struggles, Heitinga never lost his spot in the national team underMarco van Basten, who took over as the Netherlands national coach in the summer of 2004. By the end of 2005, had also again become a key player in the Ajax squad. He would also be selected by Van Basten for the Dutch national team of 23 players to compete in the2006 FIFA World Cup, hosted by Germany. The Dutch side performed reasonably well at the World Cup, qualifying for the second round before again being knocked out by Portugal.
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Heitinga was also called up to the Dutch squad forEuro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Since Euro 2008, he has been a regular in the right back position and has occasionally deputised in other defensive positions during an injury crisis. He made his 50th appearance for the Netherlands in a friendly againstParaguay on 18 November 2009.[29]
Heitinga was included in the squad for the2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa,[30] and was in the starting line-up for the Netherlands' first match in the competition, a 2–0 victory overDenmark.[31] Heitinga played in every game as the Netherlands reached thefinal for the third time, where they facedSpain. He started the match but was sent off in the 109th minute after being given his second yellow card for a foul onAndrés Iniesta.[32]He became the fifth player to be sent off in a World Cup final.[33][nb 1] The Netherlands went on to lose the final 1–0 after Iniesta scored the winning goal for Spain in the 116th minute.[33]
In June 2021, Heitinga was appointed manager ofJong Ajax, the reserve team of Ajax competing in theEerste Divisie. He signed a contract for two seasons running until June 2023.[34] In 2022, he extended his contract until 2025.[34] On 27 January 2023, Heitinga was appointed interim manager of Ajax's first team for the remainder of the season, following the dismissal ofAlfred Schreuder.[35] His first match in charge was a 4–1 away win against Excelsior on 29 January.[36] Under Heitinga's guidance, Ajax finished in third place in theEredivisie, securing a place in the UEFA Europa League play-off round.[37] They also reached the final of theKNVB Cup, losing to PSV on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[38] On 1 June 2023, it was announced that Heitinga would not continue as manager of Ajax beyond his interim spell, with the club deciding to appointMaurice Steijn instead.[39]
In September 2023, Heitinga was appointed first-team coach at West Ham United as assistant toDavid Moyes, his former manager at Everton.[40] Upon the departure of Moyes in May 2024, Heitinga left the club, along with other coaches and back-room staff.[41] On 17 July 2024, Heitinga was appointed as the new assistant coach atLiverpool.[42] He took charge of Liverpool for the first time in a 2–0 win overNewcastle United on 26 February 2025, whilst managerArne Slot and assistant manager Sipke Hulshoff were suspended.[43][44][45] That season, Liverpool, under Slot’s leadership, won thePremier League title.
On 31 May 2025, Heitinga agreed to return to his former club Ajax as head coach, signing a two-year contract set to begin with the 2025–26 season.[46]
On 6 November 2025, just 5 months after being announced as head coach of Ajax, Heitinga was dismissed following the club's 3–0 home defeat toTurkish sideGalatasaray in theChampions League, which saw them sit bottom of theleague phase table, failing to secure a point in their 4 matches.[47]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ajax | 2001–02 | Eredivisie | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | Eredivisie | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 3[c] | 0 | — | 30 | 3 | |||
| 2004–05 | Eredivisie | 26 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 6[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 36 | 1 | ||
| 2005–06 | Eredivisie | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 6[c] | 0 | 5[e] | 1 | 33 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07 | Eredivisie | 32 | 6 | 5 | 1 | — | 9[f] | 1 | 5[g] | 1 | 51 | 9 | ||
| 2007–08 | Eredivisie | 33 | 6 | 3 | 2 | — | 4[h] | 0 | 5[i] | 1 | 45 | 9 | ||
| Total | 152 | 17 | 16 | 3 | — | 31 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 215 | 24 | |||
| Atlético Madrid | 2008–09 | La Liga | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 6[c] | 0 | — | 34 | 3 | ||
| 2009–10 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 28 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 37 | 3 | ||||
| Everton | 2009–10 | Premier League | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 1 | |||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 30 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 2 | |||
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 26 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 1 | |||
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1 | |||
| Total | 115 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 10 | 0 | — | — | 140 | 5 | ||||
| Fulham | 2013–14 | Premier League | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| Hertha BSC | 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| Ajax | 2015–16 | Eredivisie | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 324 | 24 | 34 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 39 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 423 | 35 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 2004 | 12 | 1 |
| 2005 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2009 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 87 | 7 | |
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 28 April 2004 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands |  Greece | 3–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 1 June 2006 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands |  Mexico | 1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 3. | 6 June 2007 | Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand |  Thailand | 2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 4. | 6 February 2008 | Poljud Stadium, Split, Croatia |  Croatia | 1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 5. | 26 March 2008 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria |  Austria | 2–3 | 4–3 | Friendly |
| 6. | 10 September 2008 | Skopje City Stadium, Skopje, Macedonia |  Macedonia | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7. | 2 September 2011 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands |  San Marino | 3–0 | 11–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||||
| Jong Ajax |  | 1 July 2021 | 27 January 2023 | 59 | 23 | 17 | 19 | 038.98 | [51] |
| Ajax | | 27 January 2023 | 14 June 2023 | 22 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 063.64 | [52] |
| Ajax | | 31 May 2025 | 6 November 2025 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 033.33 | [52] |
| Total | 96 | 42 | 26 | 28 | 043.75 | — | |||
.jpg)
Ajax[53]
Netherlands
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