John Heitinga has joined David Moyes’ backroom team at West Ham United to ‘rehabilitate himself’ and ‘get the pleasure back’ from football.
That’s according to journalist Mike Verweij, who says the former defender wants to get back on track with West Ham after a disappointing spell with Ajax.
Heitinga took temporary charge of the Dutch giants last season, managing them until the end of the campaign after Alfred Schreuder was sacked.
He did a relatively good job in the role, restoring the club in part and ensuring a third placed finish in the Eredivisie to secure a Europa League qualifying place.
The club elected to part ways with him in the summer, though, preferring to appoint Maurice Steijn to the position and securing him from Sparta Rotterdam rather than sticking with Heitinga.
Heitinga knows the Scottish manager well having played under him during his career, when they were together at Everton, and Verweij says the former defender is looking to rekindle that old relationship and get his joy back from the game.
“Very nice of him. He will work with David Moyes, with whom he had a very good time at Everton,” he said on De Telegraaf’s Kick-off podcast.
“In the 2011/12 season he was voted Player of the Season by the fans. Then Everton did not play against relegation but was a nice sub-topper. So nice that he gets a chance.
“He is one of the assistants. He may be going to rehabilitate himself there, but for a very small group. Profiling is not an option, of course.
“I think he really wants to get the pleasure back in the profession, because he is really very disappointed in Ajax and the way things went. First of all: he could have done better himself, but he had his neck stuck out.”
