**New Liverpool Boss Arne Slot Appoints Former Everton Star to Backroom Staff**

Liverpool’s new manager, Arne Slot, has made a surprising addition to his coaching staff by appointing former Everton defender Johnny Heitinga as an assistant coach. The move was confirmed by the club on Wednesday, despite Heitinga’s connections to Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals.

Heitinga, a former Dutch international, had been working as a coach at West Ham under David Moyes but recently held talks with Slot about joining the Anfield setup. The 40-year-old defender played 140 times for Everton between 2009 and 2014 and has also coached at Ajax and Atletico Madrid.

The appointment may raise eyebrows due to Heitinga’s Everton connections, but his experience in the Premier League and his understanding of the league will be valuable assets to Slot’s team.

Liverpool have also welcomed former Manchester City man Aaron Briggs to the club as a development coach, replacing Vitor Matos. Briggs spent nine years at Manchester City as an analyst and coach and was head-hunted by Liverpool’s recruitment team.

Heitinga’s appointment is the latest in a series of changes to Slot’s backroom staff, which includes the appointment of goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte, who joins from the United States national team. Sipke Hulshoff will be Slot’s assistant head coach, while Ruben Peeters has joined as head of performance.

The club is still looking to fill the role of set-piece specialist, which they have advertised for on LinkedIn. The new appointments mark a significant overhaul of the coaching staff at Anfield, as Slot looks to put his own stamp on the team.

**Images:**

[Image of Arne Slot]

[Image of Johnny Heitinga]

[Image of Johnny Heitinga playing for Everton]

**Tweet:**

John Heitinga has been appointed to our backroom staff in the position of assistant coach

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 17, 2024