Man Utd job ´a difficult but fantastic challenge´ – Ten Hag

Erik ten Hag says the challenge of getting Manchester United back on track is a “difficult but fantastic one” as the Dutchman prepares to take over at Old Trafford.

United confirmed last month that Ajax head coach Ten Hag will replace interim manager Ralf Rangnick at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.

The Red Devils have gone five seasons without winning any silverware and will finish this campaign with their lowest ever Premier League points tally.

Ten Hag will be tasked with bringing an end to that barren spell, while also guiding United back into the top four at the very least.

He told Voetbal International: “It feels like a challenge to put the club back on track of winning. The options are there, including financially.

“I’ve also got a good feeling about the people who are there, and that we can take a step in the direction.”

Ten Hag had previously been unwilling to discuss his new job while still in charge of Ajax, where he has spent the past four and a half years.

But after winning the Eredivisie title with the Dutch giants for a third time this week, Ten Hag has now opened up on his decision to swap Ajax for United.

“I know United went through a very precise procedure,” he said. “They’d done scouting, analyses, data, interviews with people who worked with me. Then we held multiple interviews. They didn’t rush into things and neither did I.

“It felt like a difficult, but fantastic challenge. At United, there’s something to build and something to win. Manchester United is such a big name in the history of football. It’s not for nothing they call Old Trafford the Theatre of Dreams.

“It’s a club with an allure in international football. Everyone knows their history. The history is impressive, but I’ve also researched the present and future and the possibilities.”