John Heitinga

Ajax

Heitinga was part of the Ajax youth team, before making his debut for the first team on 26 August 2001 against Feyenoord. He was part a new wave of talent that fielded the likes of homegrown stars Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder, as well as Zlatan Ibrahimović and Cristian Chivu. He was featured in a documentary entitled Ajax: Hark the Herald Angel Sings alongside Ajax academy pupils Gregory van der Wiel, Mitchell Donald, Jeffrey Sarpong, Donovan Slijngard, Nordin Amrabat, Evander Sno and Jeremain Lens. Heitinga quickly established himself as a strong addition to the team and became first-choice player under coach Co Adriaanse and later Ronald 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 the 2003–04 season and impressed in his first game since injury against Volendam, 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 the 2007–08 season, the fans gave him a fitting send-off by displaying a mosaic of him on the stands.

Atlético Madrid

Heitinga moved to Atlético Madrid at the end of the 2007–08 season for a fee of £8.8 million. His first season in…

Euro 2004

Having been part of Dutch international youth teams, Heitinga made his senior debut for the Netherlands on 18 February 2004 in a friendly game against the United States. Several months later, he scored his first goal from a Rafael van der Vaart free kick in a friendly against Greece. Although he did not take part in qualifying, Heitinga was later included in the squad for the Euro 2004 in Portugal since the Dutch under-21 team had failed to qualify for the European 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 against Sweden as a second-half substitute for Edgar Davids and converted his penalty as the Dutch won 5–4 on penalties. The Dutch, however, were eliminated by the hosts Portugal in the semi-finals.

2006 World Cup and Euro 2008

Heitinga was selected by Marco van Basten for the Dutch national team of 23 players to compete in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, hosted by Germany. The Dutch reached the second round before again being knocked out by Portugal. Heitinga was also called up to the Dutch squad for Euro 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 against…

In June 2021, Heitinga was appointed manager of Jong Ajax, the reserve team of Ajax competing in the Eerste Divisie. He signed a contract for two seasons running until June 2023. In 2022, he extended his contract until 2025. On 27 January 2023, Heitinga was appointed interim manager of Ajax's first team for the remainder of the season, following the dismissal of Alfred Schreuder. His first match in charge was a 4–1 away win against Excelsior on 29 January. Under Heitinga's guidance, Ajax finished in third place in the Eredivisie, securing a place in the UEFA Europa League play-off round. They also reached the final of the KNVB Cup, losing to PSV on penalties after a 1–1 draw. 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 appoint Maurice Steijn instead. In September 2023, Heitinga was appointed first-team coach at West Ham United as assistant to David Moyes, his former manager at Everton. Upon the departure of Moyes in May 2024, Heitinga left the club, along with other coaches and back-room staff. On 17 July 2024, Heitinga was appointed as the new assistant coach at Liverpool. He took charge of Liverpool for the first time in a 2–0 win over Newcastle United on 26 February 2025, whilst manager Arne Slot and assistant manager Sipke Hulshoff were suspended. That season, Liverpool, under Slot’s leadership, won the Premier League title. On 31 May 2025, Heitinga agreed to return to his former…

Heitinga was born in Alphen aan den Rijn, South Holland, and raised in Amsterdam. He is of Indonesian descent through his paternal grandfather.