Erik ten Hag has sent a heartfelt message to the Manchester United fans as he reflected on his time at Old Trafford. The Dutchman was axed in October after almost two-and-a-half years in Manchester.
Ten Hag, 55, was appointed as the United head coach in May 2022 following Ralf Rangnick's departure. In his first season, the former Ajax boss won the Carabao Cup and guided United to a third-place finish in the Premier League. As well as that, United reached the FA Cup final and the Europa League quarter-final.
However, Ten Hag's second season was a disaster. They suffered their lowest-ever Premier League finish (eighth), endured a Champions League group phase exit, and lost in the Carabao Cup fourth round. But Ten Hag managed to save his job by winning the FA Cup and then signed a two-year extension to his contract.
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There was hope that Ten Hag could turn United's fortunes around but he didn't manage to do that with the club getting off to a dismal start to the 2024/25 season. The United board made the decision to sack Ten Hag following a 2-1 defeat against West Ham - a defeat that left Ten Hag's men 14th in the table.
But now, Ten Hag has reflected on his time at United and has sent an emotional message to the club's fanbase. He said in an interview with SEG Stories: "I enjoyed it immensely.
"The fans... really fantastic. So committed, so dedicated, so loyal. To my team, to me, to my staff. We also gave them two prizes after a six-year drought. I was appreciated. I really noticed that when I walked the streets of Manchester. How? Hanging on, they gave you credit.
"They were so happy with the FA Cup last year... They gave that feeling of pride back. Especially after the FA Cup. Beating the best team in the world (Manchester City, ed.), that was also great. I was quite happy with that."
There has been talk that Ten Hag could return to management in the near future after he was linked with the Borussia Dortmund vacancy last month. Niko Kovac ended up getting the Dortmund job instead and Ten Hag has since confirmed he has NO desire to be back in the dugout until at least the summer.
Ten Hag added: "My hands are not itching yet. I'm not going to do anything until July 1st anyway. That's actually the first time, yes. It's mainly a period of looking in the mirror. I have peace for that now.
"Looking back on the last few months, but also looking back on 22 years in this world. I use this period for reflection and am also working on refining my working method: my game model.
"How is a selection put together, what are the profiles, do I need to refining that, do I need to add new elements and what consequences would that possibly have... No, that's not obsessive, I call that passionate."
