Liverpool are reportedly on the cusp of securing another addition to Arne Slot’s backroom staff at Anfield.
Johnny Heitinga confirmed in recent days that he’d been in discussions about teaming up with his compatriot, and Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan appeared to let slip over the weekend that the former Everton defender will be returning to Merseyside.
According to The Times today, LFC are ‘close to confirming’ that the 40-year-old will take up a role with the Reds after talks wtih the club recently, with the sub-headline on the report stating that the 2010 World Cup finalist ‘will join’ the backroom team in L4.
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Following on from appointing Aaron Briggs as first-team individual development coach last week, Arne Slot’s backroom ticket at Liverpool is now firmly taking shape.
Assistant boss Sipke Hulshoff, lead physical performance coach Ruben Peeters, and head of first-team goalkeeper coaching Fabian Otte were already through the door prior to the most recent appointment, and it now looks as if Heitinga is a done deal as well.
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The ex-Netherlands defender had most recently been part of David Moyes’ coaching staff at West Ham, but left the London Stadium along with the Scot in May.
The 40-year-old won 14 out of his 22 games as caretaker manager of Ajax in the second half of the 2022/23 season (Transfermarkt), and while it wasn’t quite enough to salvage Champions League qualification, it at least staved off what was previoulsy shaping up to be a crisis of unprecedented levels at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
It should help that Heitinga already knows the Premier League from his time as a player and a coach, and with his addition at Liverpool all but confirmed, it appears that Slot will have another invaluable ally working with him at Anfield.
We’re sure there’ll be even more names added to the 45-year-old’s backroom staff over the coming weeks, and hopefully some new arrivals to the playing squad as well.
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