Liverpool added John Heitinga to Arne Slot‘s backroom employees, and his former participant and rumoured Liverpool goal, Mohammed Kudus, has hailed him as “the perfect coach” he had at Ajax.
Whereas switch rumours have died down of late, West Ham‘s Kudus was beforehand mooted to be on Liverpool’s radar this summer time.
He reportedly has an £85 million launch clause that may come into impact in 2025, however there was no phrase on the Reds sending out feelers for the winger in latest months.
Kudus, although, has labored carefully with Heitinga at Ajax and West Ham, and the 23-year-old has provided Liverpool a optimistic and promising evaluation of his teaching capabilities.
“I felt excellent beneath Heitinga,” Kudus informed Voetbal. “He’s the perfect coach I’ve had at Ajax.
“Other than the coaching facet, I additionally maintain him in excessive regard when it comes to requirements and values.
“Personally, I’d have favored to have labored with him longer. He’s a prime coach and I actually appreciated his efforts to make the gamers higher on the time.
“When he took over for the remainder of the season [at Ajax], he instantly confirmed impression. Issues received higher.”
When the pair reunited at West Ham in 2023, the winger – who scored 14 objectives and notched six assists final season – added: “After we noticed one another once more, there have been issues that related us instantly.
“He tried to make me and all the opposite gamers higher. I’m very grateful to him for our time at West Ham.”
As an affidavit to what the Reds can anticipate, it’s a welcome one to listen to as Heitinga joins Slot’s employees which already consists of Sipke Hulshoff and Ruben Peeters.
The 40-year-old arrives at Anfield with seven years of teaching expertise already beneath his belt, together with 22 video games – 14 of which he gained – as interim supervisor at Ajax.
That Kudus stated he “would have favored to work with him longer” is a nod to what Liverpool are getting of their new coach, and it will not be so dangerous to make use of that relationship in switch talks if there was ever a gap.
The Hammers is not going to permit the winger to go away on a budget, understandably so, although he has been linked with golf equipment in Saudi Arabia of late after an eye catching debut Premier League season.
