John Heitinga

FTY · February 2, 2016

Played in a World Cup final.

Started the next season on the bench.

Won player of the year.

Started the next season on the bench.

Lee Smith · February 2, 2016

Pienaar's gloves said:
The highlight...

Only got booked for that too didn't he?!

Charlie Sweet · February 2, 2016

BigDunc'sFod said:
Retired at 32, bloomin eck

Good riddance. Never really.liked him and I'm neither fat nor 40. One good season apart he was just a big girls blouse who didn't have the skills to go with it.

Call me cynical but I'm always suspicious about these immediate retirements....

toffee matt · February 2, 2016

His performance against Wigan in the cup is one of the main reasons Martinez is now manager

Eggs · February 2, 2016

BigDunc'sFod said:
Retired at 32, bloomin eck

......he's only got a relatively small frame for the position he plays, i suspect he can't cope physically with the power of opponent he's up against any more. I reckon this was the same reason Tim Cahill moved on.

zirc · February 2, 2016

Was a very good defender in his prime for us and for Holland, unfortunately he didn't have the physicality to keep it up as he got older.

Weird to think he's younger than me and retiring.

Caolam · February 2, 2016

He was a strange mixture, he certainly had talent but lacked the ability to produce on a regular basis. Talent is never enough on it's own.

RFUS · February 2, 2016

Such an oddity. Ricocheted between adoration and hatred, hard man and fraud, even CB to CM. Nothing stuck for long enough. The fans were desperate for what we thought he was.

All in all if I met him in the street I'd stop to chat, but in 20 years, perhaps in 10, I'll have forgotten all about him.

Groucho · February 2, 2016

Joey66 said:
I thought he retired playing for us!lol

dandydan said:
He played in a world cup final. Still can't get my head around that.

Remember him swerving 50/50 tackles, and Arouna Kone (Wigan days) running rings around him?

coollino · February 2, 2016

32 is no age to go. Thoughts with friends and family.

Liamliverpool86 · February 2, 2016

Eggs said:
......he's only got a relatively small frame for the position he plays, i suspect he can't cope physically with the power of opponent he's up against any more. I reckon this was the same reason Tim Cahill moved on.

I dunno how cannavaro done it me ... brilliant defender at what 5ft 10 max ?

CahillsCornerFlag · February 2, 2016

One very good season, and the rest of the time you got the feeling that he just wasn't really that arsed. Pulling out of tackles, marking nobody at corners, letting anyone bigger or quicker than him destroy him...seem to recall John Carew tearing him a new one. We drew 3-3 or something and all the goals were his fault.