Tottenham have confirmed that former Ajax head coach John Heitinga has joined Thomas Frank’s backroom staff as first-team assistant coach. Heitinga will be in the technical area when Spurs face West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday, adding experience to a staff under pressure.
Spurs are aiming to complete a league double over West Ham for the first time since 2019-20, following a 3-0 victory at the London Stadium in September. However, Tottenham have won only four of their last 24 Premier League home fixtures, with six draws and 14 defeats.
Tottenham’s struggles at home this season underline the importance of Heitinga’s arrival. The club have recorded just two home league wins from their first 10 matches, which is their lowest total at that
stage of any league campaign, highlighting a key area for the new assistant coach.
Heitinga’s most recent managerial role came at Ajax, where the coach experienced sharply contrasting spells. As interim boss in 2023, Heitinga won 11 of 16 Eredivisie matches, drawing two and losing three. That strong run encouraged Ajax to appoint Heitinga permanently in May 2025.
The permanent tenure proved less successful. Between May 2025 and dismissal in November, Heitinga oversaw 11 league fixtures, winning five, drawing five and losing one. Ajax collected 1.82 points per game under Heitinga in that period and also lost all four Champions League matches this season.
Ajax now sit 34th in the league-phase table after six European games, reflecting a difficult campaign. Despite that setback, Tottenham view Heitinga’s broader experience as valuable. The coach previously represented Everton and Fulham during a long playing career, and played for the Netherlands national team as a defender.
Heitinga has also built a coaching profile in England. Heitinga worked as an assistant coach at Liverpool during their Premier League title-winning season last year. Before that, Heitinga served as a first-team assistant at West Ham in the 2023-24 campaign, giving knowledge of several top-flight environments.
Frank told the club website: "John is a great addition to our coaching staff. His ability, personality and character will add huge value both on and off the pitch. He had an impressive playing career across Europeincluding five years in the Premier Leagueand with the Dutch national team. As a former defender, that will be one of his main responsibilities on the training pitch, and he brings great coaching and management experiences from all levels of the game, which will really help us moving forward. "
We are delighted to welcome John Heitinga to the Club as First Team Assistant Coach, joining Thomas Franks coaching staff. https://t.co/tVI1ZB1aPV pic.twitter.com/tjfPYRXjzQTottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 15, 2026
John Heitinga Tottenham statistics and recent records
Heitinga’s contrasting results at Ajax and the context at Spurs can be set out clearly.
Heitinga arrives at Tottenham with mixed recent results but extensive knowledge of European football and the Premier League. Spurs, who are seeking improved defensive structure and better home form, now look to blend Frank’s existing methods with Heitinga’s ideas ahead of the meeting with West Ham.
