John Heitinga is back in Amsterdam
After an incredible season with Liverpool, which saw Arne Slot and the Dutchman surprise everyone by storming to a Premier League title, Heitinga has ditched the Reds to once again have a shot at managing Ajax. Only this time, with a bit more credibility in the bank.
Of course, Heitinga has history with Ajax. He made over 200 appearances as a player and even had a 6-month stint as head coach back in 2023 following Alfred Schreuder’s dismissal. That brief stint in charge was a mixed bag, with the club opting not to sign an extension after finishing third and failing to qualify for the Champions League. But less than two years later, Heitinga is back in the hot seat.
Heitinga Returns to Ajax on a 2-Year Deal
After an impressive couple of years in England with West Ham and Liverpool, John Heitinga has put pen to paper on a 2-year deal with Ajax. The familiar face is “Really excited to get started” and will be looking to get Ajax back on top after missing out on the league title by a single point last season. It’s now also been over three seasons since Ajax won the league at all, so there’s big pressure on Heitinga, especially following his vital role in Liverpool’s title winning campaign.
Ajax have agreed deal to appoint John Heitinga as new head coach on two year contract.
Exclusive story confirmed as Liverpool gave their green light earlier this week and Heitinga will go back to Ajax. 🇳🇱@FabrizioRomano
— Xtra’O’ (@DigitalXtraO) May 30, 2025
There were other names in contention for the Ajax job before Heitinga made it official. Former manager Erik Ten Hag was allegedly the Ajax board’s number one target, with the Dutchman being a free agent since getting sacked by Man United at the start of last season, but Ten Hag turned down the approach to sign with Bayer Leverkusen instead. Then there was Marcelo Gallardo, who also reportedly turned down Ajax’s advances. The club then needed somebody else, and the best fit on the market was Heitinga.
The 41-year-old returns to Ajax with a Premier League title under his belt, along with priceless experience from working under the highly pragmatic David Moyes at West Ham and (most recently) Liverpool’s new fan-favourite Arne Slot. There were times last season where Heitinga even led the team in place of Slot while the manager was suspended, with Heitinga looking more than capable on the touchline. Undoubtedly, he’ll be desperate to turn that experience into results with Ajax, so don’t be surprised if Heitinga hits the ground running come August.
Ajax 2/1 to Win the League Next Season
Heading into the new season, Ajax are 2/1 with most bookies to win the title and any fan looking to back Ajax in this market can use a new player welcome bonus. The club only missed out on the league by a point last season and the momentum of Heitinga’s arrival could see them mount another serious title charge. Heitinga also has his Liverpool contacts book, which he’s already dialled in once by bringing in Reds’ keeper Vítězslav Jaroš on loan. Whether any other Liverpool names will be coming through the Ajax door this summer remains to be seen, but it’s certainly possible.
One thing for sure is Ajax supporters want to be back at the summit of Dutch football again. Let’s not forget the club had a nightmare two-season spell, flirting with relegation and experiencing countless blunders, so coming within touching distance of the league championship last season has got them back on track. The foundation is certainly there for Heitinga to kick on and challenge PSV over the coming months, but the 41-year-old is still far from a sure bet.
What Will Heitinga Bring to Ajax?
On paper, Heitinga ticks all the right boxes. He’s a former Ajax player and manager, knows the club’s academy after previously coaching Jong Ajax, and will no doubt be eager to deliver on Ajax’s attacking possession-style play. Not to mention, Heitinga also brings defensive structure to the table, so supporters can expect to see a more defensively compact Ajax when the new season gets started.
The biggest plus of all for Ajax is that Heitinga is fresh off a Premier League crash course. He’s worked under the incredibly defensive David Moyes at West Ham and just won the league with Liverpool by playing excellent, no-nonsense front-foot football with Arne Slot. If he can replicate and expand on that with Ajax, there’s a strong chance the club will win the league.
There is, of course, the experience problem. Heitinga’s emotional return to Ajax is technically his first full-time managerial role, even though you wouldn’t think it with how long his name has been around. It’s a similar situation to that of Mikel Arteta, who spent years under Pep Guardiola as assistant coach at Manchester City before immediately throwing himself in the deep end at Arsenal once the manager’s job became available. Arteta himself had a bumpy start but then quickly started challenging for league titles with the Gunners, so we might see something similar happen with Heitinga. The Amsterdam giants have certainly taken a risk with this appointment, but it has all the makings of something special.
Conclusion
It’s been a rough few years for Ajax, from near relegation to more recently just missing out on the league title. Next season could be when they finally finish on top again, though, with new manager John Heitinga bringing fresh ideas and the momentum of a Premier League title with him. And when you throw Heitinga’s Ajax heritage on top of it all, there’s the makings of a perfect partnership. Hopefully, Ajax will at least give him a couple of seasons to get it right — and he may even hit the ground running.