Ambitious Heitinga leaves the path of gradualism to help Ajax outJohn Heitinga will make his debut on Sunday against Excelsior (kick-off at 2.30 pm) as head coach of Ajax in the Eredivisie. The general public mainly knows him as a defender with a good kick from Ajax and Orange, as a trainer he only just comes into play. A profile of an ambitious, but inexperienced trainer.

On Friday afternoon, just after three o’clock, Ajax announced that the run-out training after the dismissal of head coach Alfred Schreuder had been led by Heitinga, coach of Jong Ajax. Two hours later, the message was already updated: Heitinga is also responsible for the next Eredivisie match, with Excelsior.

Perhaps Ajax was still busy with other candidates in those intervening hours, but those negotiations had broken down. Or maybe Heitinga himself still had to be convinced. The latter seems quite plausible. Heitinga said in the summer that he is not in a hurry with his trainer career.