Manchester United has officially confirmed the appointment of Erik ten Hag as the new manager on a three-year deal, beginning from the next season. The Dutchman will replace the interim manager Ralf Ragnick in the upcoming summer.

Ten Hag will become the fifth man in the last nine years to step into this role. Since Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013, the club has tried its luck with David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, and Ole Gunner Solsjkaer, but none of them were able to bring back the glory days to the club.

“It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead. I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve,” stated ten Hag on his appointment.

Ten Hag inherited a faltering Ajax side more than four years ago, and turned them into a world-beater. Ajax won three Eredivisie, two Dutch Cups, and one Dutch Super Cup during his tenure. He also took Ajax to their first Champions League semi-finals in over two decades, in 2018/19. They knocked out behemoths like Real Madrid and Juventus before falling short against Tottenham Hotspurs. 

In the ongoing season of Eredivisie, Ajax are four points clear at the top, with five games remaining. Ten Hag stressed how his main focus is on winning the league, as it will earn Ajax an automatic qualification.

“I’m happy that it has been finalised and that it has been officially announced,” Ten Hag said of his appointment. “That clarity is important. But I only have one interest now and that’s these last five games. I want to finish my time here on a positive note, by winning the league.”

‘In our conversations with Erik leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Manchester United to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that,” John Murtough, the club’s Football director said.