Next West Brom manager: Ex-Fulham & West Ham man ‘leading candidate’ after being handpicked by Liverpool boss


Former Everton, Ajax and Fulham player Johnny Heitinga is reported to be one of the names in the frame to replace Carlos Corberan at Championship side West Brom.
The former defender spent the majority of his career with Ajax as he made 218 appearances for the Dutch club while he also made a name for himself in the Premier League with spells at Everton and Fulham. He played 140 times for the Toffees and 14 times for the Cottagers.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe 41-year-old joined Liverpool in the summer as he was appointed by Arne Slot as an assistant coach at Anfield. Slot was banned from the touchline for Liverpool’s win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup earlier this month and was full of praise for Heitinga afterwards. He said: “John Heitinga is here with me for the first half of the season and I couldn’t have wished for more. A very, if I say talented I don’t rate him high enough because he’s more than that. He’s been a head coach before, still young but grew into our staff from the start in a good manner and has the same idea about football – that’s why I chose him.”
Heitinga ‘leading contender’ for West Brom role
According to Football Insider, the Liverpool assistant is the leading contender to replace Corberan at the Hawthorns. His experience in the Premier League as a player and his style of management are said to make him an attractive choice for West Brom, who are aiming to finish inside the Championship play-offs for a second-straight season.
Heitinga has first-team coaching experience having worked as Ajax interim boss for the second half of the 2022-23 season. He won 11 of 16 matches in charge to turn the club’s season around. He was not given the job full-time at Ajax and in September 2023 moved to West Ham under David Moyes, having played under the Scotsman at Everton. He left back in May when Moyes departed. Speaking at the time of his appointment, Moyes said: “John is someone I have known for a long time. He has gained some very good experience since beginning his coaching career in the Ajax Academy and working his way up to their first-team.”
Valencia confirm Corberan arrival
In a Christmas Day statement from the La Liga club confirmed they had paid a release clause to West Brom to secure the services of Corberan. It read: “Carlos Corberán has been appointed as coach of Valencia CF, signing a contract through to 2027. A buyout option in his contract with West Bromwich Albion was taken up to allow him to leave. Carlos Corberán joins Valencia CF after an extensive spell in England, where he has spent the majority of his coaching career to date. He coached Huddersfield Town for two years and, after a brief time at Greek side Olympiakos FC, returned to England with West Bromwich Albion, whom he took to the promotion playoffs to the Premier League last season.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“Born in Cheste, in the Valencia region, he began his coaching career at 23 years of age, coming up through the ranks at Villarreal CF. His extensive experience includes a period at Leeds United as assistant to Marcelo Bielsa.”
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.