Donny van de Beek has said he’s excited to be working under Erik ten Hag again at Manchester United in a ‘new chapter’ for both their careers.
The midfielder enjoyed a wonderful tenure at Ajax with ten Hag, winning the Eredivisie and making it to a UEFA Champions League semi-final before leaving the club for Man Utd in 2020.
Since then van de Beek has struggled mainly due to a lack of game time and injuries. Following a six-month loan spell at Everton at the tail-end of last season, however, the midfielder is excited to be back at Old Trafford and to work with ten Hag again.
“The last part of last season, I was injured, so I missed a lot. I could feel that in the first few weeks of pre-season, but now I’ve started to feel better and better. So I’m really positive,” the midfielder told the club’s official website.
“He [ten Hag] will be really good for the club. I think in terms of the way the club is, and how they want to play, he’s a good mix for what they want as a manager. I’m really looking forward to it. We had big success at Ajax at that time – the semi-final of the Champions League, and we won trophies. So it was a special time.
“Now we are here, with a new chapter and a new challenge, and of course we want to do the same here.”
The Dutch international also took the time to discuss the transfer business Man Utd pulled off during the summer window.
“Some of the players I played against – I played against Christian, against Casemiro as well, with Ajax. Licha [Lisandro], I played together with him. So I know what they are capable of and they are really good players, so they will help us for sure.
“They are nice people, but they are also team players. I think this is important, to work hard together. As people, they fit very well with the players we have.”
