Background and career
Johnny Gijsbert Alan Heitinga (born 15 November 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former player, most recently an assistant coach at Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
A centre-back and product of the Ajax Academy, he played for their first squad from 2001 to 2008, winning two Eredivisie and three KNVB Cup titles. After a one-year spell at Atlético Madrid in Spain, he signed for Everton in 2009. He joined Fulham at the start of 2014 then signed with German side Hertha BSC later that year. In June 2015, he returned to his Ajax for a single season before retiring in 2016.
After making his debut for the Netherlands national team in February 2004, Heitinga earned 87 caps and represented his country at two World Cups (2006 and 2010) and three European Championships (2004, 2008, and 2012). He helped the Dutch to the World Cup final in 2010, in which he was sent off in a loss to Spain. In 2008, he was named Dutch Footballer of the Year.
