John Heitinga’s agent has revealed he initially advised the Dutchman not to accept the Ajax head coach role, even as contract extension talks were ongoing with Liverpool.
Heitinga, who recently left his assistant coaching position at Liverpool, returned to Ajax last week—his former club where he spent two spells as a player and launched his coaching career. He had also served briefly as interim head coach there during the second half of the 2022/23 season.
Though Ajax opted not to retain him permanently at the time, Heitinga later joined West Ham as part of David Moyes’ coaching team—Moyes having previously managed him at Everton—before linking up with Arne Slot at Liverpool in the summer. Heitinga was part of the backroom staff that helped lead the Reds to a Premier League title in Slot’s first season.
Rob Jansen, Heitinga’s agent, revealed that several clubs had expressed interest in Heitinga once he had made the decision to leave Liverpool, despite the club wanting him to stay.
“We were already planning his departure from Liverpool,” Jansen said on the ‘Kieft Jansen Egmond Gijp’ podcast, per ESPN. “He was ready to take the next step and lead a team on his own. Extending at Liverpool was seriously considered—they were keen—but John was open to new opportunities.”
Initially, Jansen had reservations about Ajax as an option, especially given the club’s unstable situation at the time. “I told Ajax, ‘I’m not sure this is the right decision for him right now.’”
However, when Ajax re-entered discussions, Heitinga had a change of heart. “John believed he could make it work. The prospect of working alongside Marcel Keizer, someone he respects and knows well, strengthened his decision.”
Despite earlier leaning toward other offers, Heitinga felt a strong emotional connection to Ajax. “It’s his club, his home. Once he spoke to them again, he decided it was the right move.”
