Tottenham manager Thomas Frank added former Ajax manager John Heitinga as his first team assistant coach on January 15.
The move came after former Spurs youth midfielder Matt Wells, who Frank had described as being “responsible for the defensive part of the game”, left to take charge of MLS team the Colorado Rapids in December.
Spurs Technical Director Johan Lange said he had a “very, very good feeling” after helping Frank put his initial backroom team together shortly after his arrival.
The group includes one coach who had only been appointed by England manager Thomas Tuchel five months beforehand, as well as a former assistant to Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, who Spurs beat in the 2024/25 Europa League final.
Here’s how Tottenham’s coaching staff looks and what Frank and Lange have had to say about them.
Tottenham: Who are Thomas Frank’s coaching staff?
Heitinga is the latest addition to Frank’s team on the training pitch.
“Thomas had a wish to bring in a few coaches he’s worked with before,” fellow Dane Lange told Tottenham’s website about Frank’s staff, adding that he was “quite excited” by the appointments.
“But for all of the other roles we had a very, very good process where we interviewed several candidates for each.”
Frank said he hoped to make the coaching team “a very well-run engine” who “just deliver everything”.
“I know half of the coaching group; the other half I don’t know, so we need to work on that relationship,” he acknowledged.
“The way they’ll split the roles is really good and covering all the abilities we would like to have.”
John Heitinga
Capped 87 times by the Netherlands, centre-back Heitinga made more than 400 appearances for Ajax, Atletico Madrid, Everton, Fulham and Hertha Berlin.
He initially worked in Ajax’s youth set-up from 2016 and took interim charge of their senior side for the second half of the 2022/23 season.
Heitinga was West Ham first team assistant and held the same position for Arne Slot’s first season at Liverpool in 2024/25, winning the Premier League.
A return to the Amsterdammers as manager in May 2025 proved less successful. “His ability, personality and character will add huge value both on and off the pitch,” predicted Frank.
“He had an impressive playing career across Europe – including five years in the Premier League – and with the Dutch national team.”
Justin Cochrane
Former Antigua and Barbuda international Cochrane has been an England coach at youth level and was made “the final appointment to a trusted support team” by new Three Lions boss Tuchel in February.
Cochrane combined the role with his coaching job under Frank at Brentford and has now moved with his club manager to Spurs.
“He’ll be in charge of the offensive part of the game and training planning, getting that smooth and running,” explained Frank.
Andreas Georgson
One of several coaching appointments made by ill-fated Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag last summer, Georgsen stayed on when Ruben Amorim succeeded the Dutchman in November but left the club at the end of the season.
The Swede’s jobs over the last five years have included Head of Set Pieces and Individual Developments at Brentford, coaching for Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, assistant manager at Malmo, set-piece work for ex-Southampton manager Russell Martin and the managerial hotseat at Lillestrom.
“He will be assistant coach but his main focus will be on set pieces and restarts [of play],” said Frank, whose Brentford side gained a reputation for threatening from kick-off last season.
Chris Haslam
Head of Performance Haslam performed a similar role for more than a decade at Brentford and has worked with Denmark’s senior side.
“The players love playfulness and competition,” Haslam told Training Ground Guru. “That’s the best way to win, in terms of the mental recovery side.”
Frank described Haslam’s responsibilities as “the physical part of the football training and all that, but also the link to everything”.
Fabian Otte
Goalkeeping coach Otte joined Liverpool when Arne Slot took over from Jurgen Klopp before the 2024/25 season, helping the club win the Premier League and sharing photos of himself on their bus parade around the city celebrating.
“We’re really excited about him coming in,” said Frank. “He’s got great experience in terms of working with some of the best goalkeepers in the world, and hopefully he can push the goalkeepers forward.”
Otte has previously worked with teams including the USA, Burnley and Borussia Monchengladbach and Hoffenheim in Germany.
Cameron Campbell
Frank’s First Team Individual Development Coach has been working with RB Leipzig’s academy for 18 months and was a youth coach at Rangers, as well as spells in Denmark and Ghana.
“He’s an individual coach who’s big on how we develop the players,” Frank said of the 33-year-old. “That was a big wish from Johan and I, something we talked about and thought was crucial.
“Not many clubs have nailed that. We’ve tried in the past and, hopefully, we can take it to the next level.”
Joe Newton
Former Tranmere Rovers apprentice Newton helped Frank’s Brentford win promotion to the Premier League in 2021 in his first position after graduating in sports science.
“He will be like a coach analyst – a bridge between the analysis team and the coaching staff, so we make sure everything is aligned in terms of training, matches, debriefs pre and post-match and how we prepare for opponents,” said Frank.
“Our principles in the way we play are the most important thing, but with the twist of how we tweak it for each opponent.”
Thomas Frank: Tottenham manager under pressure
Tottenham had a dismal domestic season in 2024/25, losing 22 and winning 11 of their 38 matches, including a return of one point from their final seven games.
Frank, whose Brentford side finished 10th, held training for the first time on the second weekend of July, with the start of their friendly schedule at third-tier Reading on the horizon.
By the time Heitinga arrived, Frank had spent a considerable period of time among the favourites to become the next Premier League manager to leave their role.
Following a promising start to the campaign, Tottenham had fallen eight points behind fourth-placed Liverpool with a run of one win in seven matches in all competitions, including an FA Cup third-round defeat at home to Aston Villa.
Tottenham also confirmed the appointment of Carlos Raphael Moersen as first director of football operations, joining from the City Football Group that oversees clubs including Manchester City.