Many Dutch football players start out as great talents, go to conquer Europe, play in the strongest championships, in top clubs, they fight for the most important trophies and become real stars. However, not everyone chooses this path. There are players such as John Heitinga, who spend a long time in their own club, if they go abroad, only to try something new.
As for Hayting, he is a pupil of Ajax and spent most of his career in this club. Naturally, the footballer played for other teams. If you want to know what career path the Dutch central quarterback John Hayting has taken, this article is for you.
The beginning of a career and the game for Ajax
John Heitinga was born November 15, 1983 in Holland and from early childhood began to engage in football. At the age of four, he ended up at the Academy of the ARC, from which at the age of seven he moved to the system of the strongest Dutch club Ajax. There he spent his childhood. For eleven years, Hayting played for various Ajax youth teams until in 2001, when he was 18 years old, he was offered a professional contract. It was then that John Heitinga became a full-fledged player who began to gradually gain his place at the base.
In the first two seasons, the athlete played only twenty matches, but then entrenched in the team and became an integral part of the defensive order of the Dutch club. For seven years, the defender played for Ajax, he played 215 matches in which he scored 24 goals - impressive statistics for the central defender. But in 2008, the 25-year-old football player decided that he would like to change the situation. This was facilitated by an impressive offer from Madrid “Atletico”: ten million euros were paid for the Dutchman.
Going to Atletico
In the first season, John Hayting, whose photos have already appeared on the covers of Spanish sports publications, played 37 matches, scoring three goals. Many believed that the "mattresses" were able to find undisclosed talent, a diamond that requires cutting. But over the course of a year, everyone pretty quickly became disillusioned with the Dutchman’s abilities, including the club’s management. As a result, after only a year, John Hayting, whose biography was previously limited only to Ajax, was again forced to change the club. Seven million euros laid out for the defender English “Everton”, which is much more suitable for the Dutchman than the club of Madrid.
A New Beginning at Everton
In the English Everton, the football player’s affairs went much better: from the first season he won his place at the base and spent 140 matches on the field in four years, distinguishing himself by five goals. As with Atlético, he did not manage to win trophies with Everton. All the awards that Heitinga acquired were received with Ajax: twice he won the Dutch Championship and three times became the owner of the Holland Cup. In January 2014, the Haitings contract with Everton came to an end, the player moved to another English club, Fulham.
Six months at Fulham
“Fulham” signed a short-term contract with the Dutchman for six months, and during this time the defender entered the field 14 times, marking one goal. However, he was not offered a longer-term contract, so in the summer of 2014, Heitinga moved to his new club - the Berlin Hertha.
Relocation to Germany
Germany has become a new challenge for Johnny. He has not played in this country yet. During the season at Hertha, he spent 14 matches and scored one goal: exactly the same statistics as for six months at Fulham. It became clear that the defender is not so much needed by the Berlin club, so a year later he was forced to look for a new haven. However, Heitinga decided that he would not try his luck and return home to calmly end his career.
Return to Ajax
In the summer of 2015, Johnny Heiting returned to his native club, where he spent half his career. After a triumphant return, the defender played only three matches, after which in February 2016 he announced his retirement. According to the materials of a well-known statistical site, such a player as John Heiting had a rating at the time of his retirement that was far from the highest level - he took 2337 place in the list of all players.
Team appearances
For the Dutch national team, Heitinga played 87 matches, scoring 7 goals. Over the course of his career, Heitinga has been a base player in the national team, he participated in three European Championships, visited two World Championships, including in 2010, where he let his team down in the final against the Spaniards. At 109 minutes, the athlete received a second yellow card and was removed, and at 116 minutes Iniesta scored the only goal that brought the Spanish national team the World Champions title.