Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has insisted he felt the love at the club, despite the fact his tenure ended in the sack.
Ten Hag was dismissed by United earlier this season and replaced by Ruben Amorim, following a two-and-a-half-year spell.
Under Ten Hag, United won the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup in as many campaigns.
He has been out of management since parting ways with the Red Devils and he finally gave his verdict on his time at Old Trafford and what it meant to him.
The 55-year-old coach sat down with SEG Stories and opened up on his love for English football and why Old Trafford is one of the few things he misses about the club.
Asked how he looks back on his time with United, Ten Hag answered, “I loved it. English football, the fans—I’ve said it before, fans so passionate about the club, so dedicated, so loyal to the team, the staff, to me as manager.”
“I can only be grateful for that. We gave them something too—two trophies after six years of nothing. I felt appreciated. You’d notice it walking the streets of Manchester—people stopping you, so positive, backing you, thrilled we won the FA Cup, even beating Manchester City.”
On beating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at Wembley last year, Ten Hag remarked, “Yeah, two years in a row in the FA Cup final—that’s something we achieved together. Beating what I think was the best team in the world at that moment.”
“That was fantastic. I was pretty satisfied with that.”
Ten Hag was asked to describe the feeling of walking out of a packed Old Trafford during matchdays.
“Yeah, but before every match, I’d walk into Old Trafford alone when it was still empty. It’s an iconic place. If there’s one thing I miss right now it’s Old Trafford.”
“There are other iconic stadiums, but what I miss is both—the moment alone and the roaring crowd. I did that everywhere—at the Arena, De Adelaarshorst.”
“It’s about preparing for the match, the meeting, setting the right emotion, soaking in the atmosphere to pass it on to the players so they go into the game with the right fire.”
On whether he is satisfied with how his career has panned out, Ten Hag replied, “Yeah, I can be pretty satisfied with that. Three league titles, the FA Cup with Manchester United. A lot of coaches would say that’s more than ‘pretty satisfied.’
Meanwhile, United are back in action on Wednesday when they take on Ipswich Town at the Theatre of Dreams. Kick-off is at 19:30 GMT.
Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
