John Heitinga has left his role with Liverpool to join Ajax as their new coach.
Heitinga was appointed as an assistant to Liverpool boss Arne Slot in July last year and oversaw a Premier League win over Newcastle United in a game for which Slot was suspended.
But the former Atletico Madrid, Everton and Fulham defender has taken the opportunity to return to the club with whom he started his career. Marcel Keizer will join him as an assistant.
Heitinga twice won the Eredivisie with Ajax as a player. As a coach, he has previously worked with Ajax’s Under-19 team and their reserve team in addition to a spell as the club’s interim coach in 2023.
He was passed over for the full-time role following that stint but has now been tasked with reviving Ajax’s fortunes after they again missed out on the Dutch title in 2024-25.
Ajax led the Eredivisie by nine points with seven games to go, only for a remarkable collapse to hand the title to PSV Eindhoven.
That led to Francesco Farioli leaving the club after just one season, with the 36-time Dutch champions turning to Heitinga to end a run of three successive campaigns without a trophy.
“I am incredibly excited to start,” said Heitinga, who won 14 of his 22 games during his time as interim coach.
“The last years in England have done me a lot of good. I’m ready to continue as a head coach and I’m honoured to be given that opportunity at Ajax.”
“John is a good coach with enormous drive,” added Ajax’s technical director Alex Kroes.
“He is ambitious and has further developed himself over the past few years in the Premier League and Champions League.
“John knows the club well and we are convinced that he, together with Marcel, will help improve our players and build on the progress made since last summer.”
