Liverpool host without in the dugout – so will instead lead the Reds as they look to boost their cushion at the top of the table.

Both Slot and assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff will be after the furore that erupted following the recent Merseyside derby draw against . The Dutchman and his No. 2 were each shown red after confronting referee Michael Oliver at Goodison Park, where the Toffees scored in the 98th minute to salvage a share of the spoils.

That means assistant first-team coach and former Everton defender as the Reds look to follow up Sunday's 2-0 win at . Slot and Hulshoff will be available for 's clash against Paris Saint-Germain, but Heitinga will also manage the team for the league clash against on March 8.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

It won't be Heitinga's first experience as a manager given he briefly took over as boss at boyhood club Ajax in 2023 – but it will be his most significant. Liverpool are 11 points clear at the top of the table, but Newcastle serve as a real test on Wednesday night. And Mirror Sport has examined the background of a man who could take on the role of hero or villain, depending on how his short-term stint in the hot seat goes.

Having hung up his boots at Ajax in 2016, Heitinga has struggled at times with the transition to coaching life. But it's not the change of work schedule or work demands that has strained him and his family the most; it's the gap in earnings.

The 87-times capped ex-Netherlands international earned around £55,000 per week at the height of his powers with Everton, and he will have raked in millions over the course of a 15-year senior playing career. But the temporary Reds chief was barely into his retirement when he revealed the hardship of his new life – and the distinct lack of private jets.

"When I was still playing football we had a lot more money coming in," he said in a 2017 interview with . "Our expenditures were likewise. Now we are trying to adjust.

"In the past, we sometimes chartered a private jet, but we don't do that now. On holidays we do still rent a fancy villa, but you get different categories of 'fancy'. We are trying to get used to it. Sometimes it is difficult."

Heitinga's love life led to him of one former Netherlands team-mate. It was love at first sight, considering they've been an item ever since they first coupled up at Euro 2004.

The comrade in question is none other than former Liverpool, and star Bolo Zenden, who was right at the end of his international career when an emerging Heitinga saw his opportunity to make a move on Zenden's sibling Charlotte Sophie – and he promptly took it.

"It's funny how our careers went, when you look at our relationship today," he told Ladbrokes Fanzone. "I played for Liverpool, he went to Everton. He started off at Ajax, I started off at PSV. We did play together in the Euros in 2004, and that's when my sister and him first met up, and they've been together ever since."

The pair were once Premier League opponents, but only for two seasons as Zenden joined shortly prior to his retirement. And the former midfield magician may well have been glad of the opportunity to exact some deep-seated revenge on his adopted family member.

There may be some tension on Heitinga's horizon considering there's a very good chance Liverpool will lift at least one major trophy this season. The 41-year-old made 140 appearances for derby rivals Everton over the course of four-and-a-half years, during which time the Toffees never finished below eighth in the Premier League.

It was in January 2014 that the Dutchman eventually called time on his Goodison Park career after rejecting a contract extension. He joined Fulham on a free transfer but later spoke of his regret over the decision – especially after then-Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal didn't react positively to the change.

"From 2004 ’til 2012, I played almost all the matches in the Dutch national team, especially the tournaments, and then he [Van Gaal] became the manager," he told in 2022. "Most of the qualification games for the World Cup 2014 I was playing, but I was in a situation with Everton that I didn’t extend, I didn’t sign a new contract.

"That’s one thing that I regret, it was better for me to sign a new deal with Everton. So I didn’t play that much. Van Gaal said, ‘you have to make a move.’ That’s why in January I made the move to . But in the end he was just clear, he said I didn’t play enough. ‘I would choose for someone else'."

Heitinga hasn't hidden his joy at Liverpool's recent success under Slot and has unsurprisingly been seen celebrating on their bench this term. That doesn't mean much in regards to his past fealty to Everton, though it may ruffle some feathers in the blue half of the city all the same.

and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our