John Heitinga

John Heitinga is a Dutch footballer, born in Alphen aan den Rijn, South Holland.

Heitinga is a product of the illustrious Ajax Amsterdam academy. On 26 August 2001, he made his first team début in the match against Feyenoord. Soon after that he became a solid regular first under the guidance of then head coach Co Adriaanse and later under Ronald Koeman. However, a short time after the back was seriously injured and spent six months without football. After recovering the footballer came on the pitch and took part in one match before he got another trauma, which sentenced him to a long recuperation as well. Heitinga managed to fully pick up from injuries by the beginning of the 2003/2004 season, when he demonstrated a confident play and guaranteed himself a place in the main team till the end of that year.

There was a serious decline in John’s performance in 2004/2005, which was aggravated by an unsuccessful play of the whole team and the head coach change. But by the end of 2005 the Dutch footballer regained his high level and confirmed his status of one of Ajax’s leaders.

In total, the back played 215 matches for the Amsterdam side club and scored 24 goals during seven seasons. Besides, John is twice Eredivisie Champion, thrice winner of the KNVB Cup and four times holder of the Johan Cruijff Shield. In July 2008 Heitinga left the Netherlands and moved to Atlético Madrid for £8.8 million.

The Dutch back took part in 34 matches for ‘The Mattress Makers’ and netted three goals during his début season. John made another four appearances for Atlético in the following season and was bought by Liverpool side Everton for €7 million.

On 13 September 2009, the footballer made his début for the new club in a 1-2 loss to Fulham. In 2009/2010 he played 31 matches for Everton, but managed to find the net only one time. In 2011/2012 John took part in 38 games for the Merseyside club, contributed two goals and was chosen the Everton Footballer of the Year.

After five years with Everton, Heitinga switched for struggling Fulham in January 2014. After the club had been relegated from Premier League that year, Heitinga joined a German side Hertha Berlin.

Heitinga’s spectacular début in European football could not be left unnoticed in 2004, when then head coach of the Netherlands national team Dick Advocaat took an interest in the Dutch back. That was how John made his début for the senior ‘Oranje’ squad in the friendly match against the USA on 18 February 2004. The same year he was included in the 23-men roster for Euro 2004. The back took part in three out of five games and ‘The Flying Dutchmen’ made its way through to the semifinal, where lost to the Portugal national team which hosted the championship.

In the summer 2006 Heitinga went to the World Cup in Germany and played three out of four matches there, but his team was knocked out in the Round of 16 by Portugal as well.

In 2008 the back participated in Euro 2008 hosted by Switzerland and Austria. Marco van Basten’s team was amazing during the group stage, when it hammered Italy (3-0) and France (4-1), but failed to win the quarter-final match against unpretentious Russia (1-3). Heitinga made one start and two sub appearances during that tournament.

In the summer 2010 John took part in the World Cup in the SAR. The ‘Oranje’ got to the finals and lost 0-1 to Spain. The back played in every match and contributed one goal, but was sent off in the 19th added minute of the final game.

Two years later Heitinga took part in Euro 2012 and made two appearances, but the Netherlands national team performed really poorly during the tournament and took last place in its group due to a terrible play in defense.