Donny van de Beek given exactly what he needed at…

Donny van de Beek given exactly what he needed at Manchester United by Erik ten Hag

Progressing through the famed Ajax ranks has given Donny van de Beek a privileged footballing education and the trials and tribulations that have followed mean the popular Netherlands playmaker can finally make up for lost time and turn his Manchester United story around.

It has been two years since the bright-eyed Dutchman rocked up at Old Trafford and, while his dreams soon turned into a nightmare, there is a golden opportunity to rewrite the script in a poetic format similar to the message which accompanied him after putting pen-to-paper on a £40million switch.

Edwin van der Sar urged United to look after 'our Donny' and, quite simply, they failed to do so. Until now.

Three managers glazed over what Van de Beek might offer their side and that stance was particularly baffling given long-standing issues in the engine room. Erik ten Hag understands more than anyone what United missed out on as he strives to unlock that potential on these shores.

It speaks volumes for Van de Beek and his character that United supporters hold him in such high esteem, despite him yet really kicking a ball in anger while donning their famous red shirt. While key figures at the club certainly did not, the fanbase respected what Van der Sar had asked of them and took Van de Beek to their hearts.

A bond has grown and those match-goers have seen something in the Ajax graduate. Perhaps it came from their shared experience of having to watch another (really) dismal season unfold.

The summer marks change for United in more ways than one and Van de Beek strutting his stuff at Carrington gives everyone a clear indicator of that mindset shift. Despite being one of the more senior players lacing up his boots, as things stand, he arguably has more than most to prove.

His technical ability will never be in question and neither so his tactical awareness; pre-requisites for signing up and passing through the Ajax system, football's answer to Top Gun. Ultimately, it all comes down to how much a lack of trust and game-time has had on his confidence.

It will be another month or so before the answer to that really starts to reveal itself, but early signs taken from clips and images at Carrington are more than encouraging. Van de Beek appears to be a man on a mission and his famous boyish charm has been coupled up with a steely determination to succeed.

Watching him fly through training drills with crisp, rangy passing is old hat; it is the new-found resolute look on his face that shows a different animal is ready to be unleashed. Van de Beek has always played and trained with a smile on his face, even in those testing times when he was restricted to cameo upon cameo.

He broke character to share a few laughs and jokes on the latest training video released by United on social media, while Van de Beek also stayed true to himself by showcasing his selflessness when applauding teammates for their efforts and then high-fiving Zidane Iqbal for good measure.

Those traits have endeared Van de Beek to United fans and will stand him in good moving forwards. But it is also, ultimately, time for the Dutchman to put himself first and remain laser-focused to grab that United shirt and make it his own. It has taken his mentor Ten Hag four days to bring that ambition back to the fore.

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