Heitinga reflects on his 'short but powerful' stay

JOHN HEITINGA has paid tribute to Arne Slot and Liverpool after leaving his role at Anfield to become Ajax head coach.

- By STEPHEN KILLEN

The Reds granted the Dutchman permission to speak to the Eredivisie giants after Francesco Farioli stepped down after their late season collapse saw them lose out on the title to PSV Eindhoven.

Heitinga joined Liverpool as part of Slot’s staff as the former Feyenoord boss looked to add a wealth of Premier League experience to his backroom before his first Premier League campaign in charge of the Reds.

The 41-year-old utilised his nous of England’s top-flight to help the Reds to the summit, spending a year coaching with David Moyes at West Ham United before his move to Merseyside.