Manchester United coach Erik Ten Hag expressed admiration for his former club FC Twente ahead of their Europa League clash, reflecting on his formative years at the Dutch club.
Manchester United coach Erik Ten Hag has revealed his admiration for FC Twente as the two sides settle scores at Old Trafford on Wednesday in the Europa League clash.
Ten Hag was part of Twente's youth set-up and also had a stint at De Graafschap, a period he said was pivotal in his career before moving on to coaching.
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Ten Hag enjoyed a trophy-laden career with Ajax before he was lured to join Man United in 2022. Last season, he guided the Red Devils to win the FA Cup trophy, a fate that allowed the team to qualify for Europe despite finishing eighth in the Premier League.
"Twente brought me a lot," Ten Hag said in his pre-match press conference as reported by the BBC. "(There is) a great deal of history there."
"I was part of the youth team. Twente is the team I follow most. I watch the team as a fan, not as an analyst.”
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Ten Hag captained Twented and upon retirement, he moved on to manage the youth side.
Manchester United begin their quest for European glory against Twente. A win will boost the team's chances of sailing to the next round but will have to navigate through a tough schedule in the revamped eight-team group competition.
United will rub shoulders with Porto on October 3 at the Stadio do Dagao in Europe's second-tier competition. The Red Devils who won the Europa League trophy in 2017 then have a date with Fenerbahce, coached by seasoned former Chelsea and Man United manager Jose Mourinho on October 24.
Greek side PAOK will visit Old Trafford on November 7, and three weeks later entertain Bodo/Glint. Further battles will see the 20-time EPL champions tackle Czech Republic's Viktoria Pilzen, Rangers from Scotland and Romanian side FCSB respectively.
Ten Hag and United will hope to return to winning ways after managing a goalless draw against Crystal Palace in the Premier League over the weekend.