Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has opened up about his departure from the club. Photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP
Image: Glyn Kirk/AFP
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has spoken up for the first time following last October's sacking from the Premier League giants.
The Dutchman was given the boot after a poor start to the league campaign left the club in a bad position. He was replaced with Portuguese tactician Ruben Amorim, however, results have yet to show a marked improvement.
Speaking on the SEG Stories podcast, Ten Hag stated he wasn't in a rush to return to management, and was currently enjoying a break from the game. “I had already decided for myself, ‘Okay, I’m not doing anything until July 1’,” he said.
He then went on to reveal what he missed most about managing England's biggest football club, saying: “If there’s one thing I miss it’s Old Trafford. You’re always working towards a dot on the horizon, but you never get to the horizon.
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Ten Hag guided the club to two trophies in his short spell at the club.
“We’ve had many highs, there is always room for improvement and good is not enough. You can do better,” he added.
Since leaving United, Ten Hag's name has been linked with a number of clubs in Europe. He has been lined up with a potential return to Ajax Amsterdam, where he remains a popular figure among the supporters, as well as PSV Eindhoven.
His name has also been mentioned as a possible replacement for Ange Postecoglou should Premier League strugglers Tottenham Hotspur decide to part ways with the Australian.
Last week, Ten Hag came under some criticism from former United defender Raphael Varane, who revealed he had a strained relationship with the Dutchman.
"It’s hard to find the right words. It was very tense at times," Varane said as per The Athletic.
"Sometimes he made an effort to listen to the players’ feedback. Sometimes he made decisions without listening to the players’ feelings. So there were ups and downs. It was complicated at times.
"We had a robust discussion. We told each other some truths, but then I didn’t play for almost two months. I said I didn’t agree with certain ways of doing things regarding the relationship between him and the team.
"It wasn’t something that I thought was good for the team because some of the players weren’t at all satisfied. It was not good in terms of the relationship with the coach."
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