Tottenham’s decision to sack Thomas Frank has created a fresh layer of uncertainty around former Liverpool assistant Johnny Heitinga, and that is why some supporters are now asking whether the 42-year-old Dutch coach could be a name to watch if changes are made behind the scenes at Anfield.
Spurs confirmed the move in an official club statement, which makes clear the board have acted because results and performances have not matched expectations, even after giving the Dane time to build.
“The Club has taken the decision to make a change in the Men’s Head Coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today.
“However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.”
Heitinga’s situation matters for us because the former Netherlands defender has a recent Liverpool connection, having worked under Arne Slot during the title-winning campaign before moving on to pursue head-coach opportunities of his own.
The important detail here is not that Liverpool are actively looking to hire anyone, and there is nothing in this Tottenham statement that says that Heitinga is out of a job.
Rather that staff changes at a Premier League club can have knock-on effects, particularly when an assistant has only joined mid-season and the project is suddenly being reset.
Why Johnny Heitinga still feels relevant to Liverpool
Heitinga’s Liverpool link is recent enough that the idea of a return is easy to picture, especially because the Dutch coach has already been inside Slot’s day-to-day environment and has first-hand knowledge of how the squad operates in training and on matchdays.
There is also the simple reality that Heitinga has experienced two unstable situations in quick succession, first in the Netherlands and now in north London, which can make the appeal of a familiar workplace feel stronger than it did six months ago.
That context is why this story has legs, even if it is ultimately a discussion about possibilities rather than anything concrete happening right now.
Heitinga’s recent timeline
| Date | Club | Role | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2024 | Liverpool | Assistant coach | Joined Arne Slot’s staff |
| Feb 2025 | Liverpool | Took charge (one match) | Managed during suspensions |
| May 2025 | Ajax | Head coach | Left Liverpool for management |
| Nov 2025 | Ajax | Head coach | Dismissed after difficult run |
| Jan 2026 | Tottenham | First-team assistant | Joined Thomas Frank’s staff |
| Feb 2026 | Tottenham | First-team assistant | Future unclear after Frank exit |
What Tottenham’s decision could mean next
Tottenham’s new head coach will decide what the backroom staff looks like, and that can range from keeping continuity to clearing the deck completely, depending on what the club wants and what the incoming coach demands.
From a Liverpool point of view, the reason Heitinga is even being mentioned is that he is a known quantity at Anfield, and if he became available then he would fit the profile of someone who could slot into a role quickly, because the learning curve would be shorter than it is with an external hire.
For now, though, the only certainty is Spurs have moved on from Frank, and the ripple effect is that Heitinga is back in a situation where his next step might not be fully in his control.
You can watch Arne Slot’s pre-Sunderland press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:
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Utterly ridiculous why would FSG waste their time and money on another flop like slot a completely useless person who doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing, so best thing FSG can do is sack slot and his useless back room staff and get Gerrard in as a interim manager until the end of the season, then appoint Klopp or Alonso and rebuild the team via Klopp or Alonso, slot has been the worse manager in the history of the club, questions should be pointed at Edwards and Hughes both responsible for employing this guy who talks so much rubbish and has not respected the players and the image of the club, he has been a complete liability for wasting £450 million on 4 players ( Frimpong is absolutely rubbish a waste of money, same for Kerkez, this clown 🤡 doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing, he has made so many mistakes and errors, Robertson is 10 times better than Kerkez) so slot should be sacked tonight should they lose tonight ( which is a possibility ) FSG should no longer tolerate slots rubbish performance!
Still, mustn’t grumble
Gerrard?.
I wholeheartedly agree that this Manager is useless BUT I feel it is those 2 above him who are the ones that have brought this man as manager also the ones who controls who signs and who leaves the club
Another one bites the dust, how many managers have spurs gone through, how many have Manchester United and Chelsea. What is the criteria for the people who run football clubs when they choose the manager?
Being good former players means nothing, having a good spell in the premier league means nothing. Winning the league in Scotland or in Holland means nothing. There’s a long list of Dutch manager’s who have failed in the premier league.
To be fair it’s not easy because there’s not many top class managers around. We were lucky we had klopp, the only thing FSG have ever got right at Liverpool, and then they forced him out,
Those who want slot out don’t get your hopes up when he is sacked, which is inevitable, just like Frank at spurs, you knew it was coming.
The next manager FSG picks? He won’t be in the calibre of klopp.
Slot is the problem from the beginning, not the players. He can’t handle great players at Liverpool. He treats them like school childre, of course players cannot complain. Get rid of Slot.