(Football news) Former Netherlands international and Everton player John Heitinga will remain as Ajax caretaker manager for the rest of the season as the club confirmed it on Thursday. The former Atletico Madrid, Union Berlin and Everton defender was moved from Jong Ajax which is the club’s reserve team and who play in the Dutch second division, to take over the first team last weekend as the interim manager after Alfred Schreuder was sacked. Ajax last week beat Excelsior Rotterdam 4-1 away in his first game in charge on Sunday.

The win also allowed Ajax to move up to 4th in the Dutch Eredivisie standings but they are five points behind leaders Feyenoord. The defending champions Ajax will take on Cambuur Leeuwarden away from home on Sunday. Ajax have also appointed Dwight Lodeweges as the assistant manager who will help Heitinga till the end of this season at least. Schreuder was sacked after a series of five consecutive draws just six months after taking over from Erik ten Hag, who moved to Manchester United.

Heitinga has gone on to play 87 caps for the Netherlands which included the 2010 World Cup final in Johannesburg, where he was subsequently sent off in extra time as the Dutch lost to Spain 1-0. The club hired Dwight Lodeweges as assistant coach who is a Canadian-born former Netherlands under-21 international coach and has managed a series of Dutch clubs including PSV Eindhoven. He was Netherlands caretaker boss in 2020 as the 65-year-old left his position on the board at Heerenveen to take the assistant managerial job.

The club said Heitinga would stay in charge for the rest of the season, with the experienced Dwight Lodeweges appointed as his assistant. “We are convinced that this is the right solution. John has followed a careful and gradual path, which has allowed him to develop very well as a coach in recent years,” general manager Edwin Van Der Sar said in a statement.

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