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Assistant coach John Heitinga of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League match between RB Leipzig v Liverpool at the Red Bull Arena(Image: 2024 Soccrates Images B.V.)

John Heitinga’s agent has revealed he initially advised his client against taking over as Ajax head coach.

Heitinga left his position as Liverpool assistant coach to return to his former club last week.

The ex-Everton defender enjoyed two separate stints as a player with Ajax, started his coaching career with the Dutch giants, and served as their interim manager for the second half of the 2022/23 season.

Ajax decided against hiring him permanently at the time, with Heitinga going on to join West Ham United as first-team coach under David Moyes, who managed him at Everton.

He then joined Liverpool as one of Arne Slot’s assistants last summer and helped the Reds win the Premier League title in his fellow Dutchman’s first season in charge.

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Heitinga’s agent, Rob Jansen, has now opened up on the move to Ajax, revealing they had been in talks with a number of clubs after the 41-year-old had already decided to move on from his backroom role at Liverpool.

Heitinga had also considered signing an extension with the Reds, who were keen to retain his services, before ultimately deciding to embark on his own managerial career.

And while Jansen initially advised the former Netherlands international against taking over at Ajax, they had second thoughts after the Eredivisie outfit reopened talks.

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“Yes, there was a moment, yes,” Jansen admitted on the ‘Kieft Jansen Egmond Gijp’ podcast, as quoted by ESPN, when asked by Wim Kieft if there had been a moment when he told Heitinga, ‘you shouldn't do that’.

“Because, and Ajax is also aware of this, we were busy with completely different clubs.

“We had already decided that he would leave Liverpool.

He wanted that before.

“Extending at Liverpool was a serious option, they really wanted that too, but John said: 'If there is somewhere I can go...'

"All those processes were running, but then Ajax came back.

Ajax came back, not us.

“I then said to Ajax: 'I actually don't know for sure whether this is the right choice, in this situation at Ajax'.

“He has a different feeling about that, that he can do it.

John felt that way for a while too, until he came into contact with Ajax.

“And Ajax is Ajax to him.
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