Liverpool: Slot bolsters backroom staff with former Everton man Heitinga

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Former Everton defender John Heitinga has joined Liverpool as assistant coach to new boss Arne Slot.

Heitinga, 40, made over 100 appearances for the Toffees between 2009 and 2014 as part of a playing career that also included spells at Ajax, Atletico Madrid, Fulham and Hertha Berlin as well as winning 87 caps for his native Netherlands.

He then went into coaching with Ajax, and most recently, West Ham. However, he opted to leave the London Stadium when manager David Moyes decided against renewing his contract with the Hammers.

Heitinga will get the chance to work with Liverpool’s exciting crop of young players that shone so brightly under Jurgen Klopp last season.

One player to emerge from the Reds’ injury problems was central defender Jarell Quansah.

The 21-year-old went from virtual unknown at the start of the campaign to make 33 appearances in all competitions and secure a place in England’s provisional squad for Euro 2024.

Quansah was cut from the final group that went to Germany, a disappointment that has seen him return for pre-season training determined to improve.

He told the club’s official website: “I was waiting for the moment for it to click and stuff like that, but I don’t think I’m going to get used to what happened last season. I’m always a person who wants to improve and kick on.

“I look at the positives and the negatives, and I just try to take it all in and try to improve for the next season really. That’s what my reflecting sort of told me – it was just about how to kick on and how to be the best version of myself.

“It’s more of the same and to just keep improving. Like I said before, try to be the best version of myself and just keep getting better and better on the training pitch and being a sponge and taking in everything around me that I can.”

The Warrington-born defender has a new man to impress in Slot, and new tactics to understand.

“To be fair, I’ve had to do that in the past few seasons. It’s not too much different,” he added.

“You always have to impress and there’s always different styles they have to implement and you have to get used to. It’s just adapting to that really and trying to implement his game plan.

“It’s good. I think a lot of my strengths can be shown in the system he likes to play. Obviously I like playing with the ball as well, so I think what the gaffer likes to do is a lot that I like. But there’s still a lot to improve on.”

Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher
Jon has over 20 years' experience in sports journalism having worked at the Press Association, Goal and Stats Perform, covering three World Cups, an Olympics and numerous other major sporting events.

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