A former stalwart for Dutch powerhouse Ajax and Italian Serie A club Genoa, John van ’t Schip is the inaugural coach and first major on-field signing for the Melbourne Heart syndicate.

Capped 41 times for the Netherlands, van ’t Schip will take the reigns of the new club for the 2010-11 A League season and brings national championship, UEFA Cup and World Cup experience to Melbourne’s newest football organisation.

van ’t schip, who has recently worked as an assistant coach for Ajax and the Dutch national team, joins a recent string of Dutch coaches who are helping to re-shape Australian football at international and now national level on the eve of the Socceroos second consecutive World Cup finals appearance in 2010.

Melbourne Heart Syndicate CEO Scott Munn, said: ''John van ’t Schip’s appointment is a significant step towards building our football department, attracting quality players and ensuring the long term success of the club. We believe John will not only be an enormous asset to our club, but he is also keen to work at a grass roots and community level to support the development of young players and coaches in Australia''.

The appointment follows on from the recent announcement that John Didulica would head the Football Operations post for the new A league Franchise and will be the next key stage in the establishment of the club's on-field and playing roster.