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Arne Slot says he’s been told he’s done something at Liverpool that could upset Everton fans
Arne Slot has barely put a foot wrong since arriving at Liverpool.
Slot has been praised to the hilt for his incredible start as Liverpool manager, and he has the Reds sitting pretty in second-place in the Premier League.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  Man CityManchester City | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 23 |
| 2 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 5 | 12 | 22 |
| 3 |  ArsenalArsenal | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 18 |
However, Slot did make something of a risky decision in his early days at Anfield, and he brought former Everton defender, John Heitinga in as an assistant coach.
Of course, the rivalry between Liverpool and Everton runs deep, and former figures from either club aren’t often welcome on the other side of Stanley Park.
Everton fans were furious when Rafa Benitez was hired a few years ago, and there were some worries that Heitinga could face some criticism from Liverpool fans due to his Everton connections.
Speaking to Liverpool’s YouTube channel, Slot has been discussing his decision to hire Heitinga, and he says that he was told the only potential issue with this hire may be that Everton fans would be unhappy rather than Liverpool supporters.
Arne Slot told he could’ve upset Everton fans
Slot shared what he was told when he floated the idea of hiring Heitinga.
The Dutchman says that he was told that Everton fans would be unhappy with this appointment, but he wasn’t warned about any potential issue from his own supporters.
“Did you know John Heitinga played for Everton?” Slot was asked.
“Yes I knew, to be fair I did ask around here ‘would this be a problem?’ And the reaction was that the only problem could be for himself because of the legacy he had at Everton,’ Slot said.
“I don’t think the Everton fans really like seeing him over here, but I don’t know exactly. What I do know is that he’s young but a very talented manager.”
How highly is Heitinga rated?
Bringing in a former Evertonian at Liverpool is a risk, but that risk can be worth it if the right amount of talent is there.
According to David Lynch, the view within Liverpool is that Heitinga is a top coach.
“You speak to anyone at Liverpool and the message comes back that he’s (Heitinga) very highly rated. Anyone who speaks about him in football speaks about a guy who is pretty smart, he’s got a good coaching background and a real clear idea of how he likes to play football as well,” Lynch said.
It’s not as if Heitinga is the first Liverpool figure to have an Everton connection in any case. In fact, some of Liverpool’s greatest ever figures have had connections to the Toffees.
| Liverpool connection | Everton connection | |
| Peter Beardsley | Played for Liverpool 1987-1991 | Played for Everton 1991-1993 |
| Jamie Carragher | Played for Liverpool 1996 – 2013 | Boyhood fan |
| Robbie Fowler | Scored 183 goals in two spells for Liverpool | Boyhood fan |
| Rafa Benitez | Managed Liverpool 2004-2010 | Managed Everton 2021-2022 |
| John Heitinga | Current Liverpool coach under Arne Slot | Played for Everton 2009-2014 |
Heitinga is the latest figure to cross the Merseyside divide, and while that isn’t always the most popular of decisions, it seems as though Slot doesn’t care too much if he’s ruffled a few feathers at Goodison Park.
Liverpool and Everton face off next month, and it will be interesting to see if Heitinga gets any sort of special reception from the Everton fans on his return to Goodison Park.