Liverpool hero Dirk Kuyt has put old rivalries to one side by advising Manchester United to snap up Erik ten Hag as their next manager.
Ten Hag, 52, is the bookmakers' favourite to take over the Old Trafford dugout this summer, when Ralf Rangnick will leave his interim post. The Dutchman has earned many admirers since taking over at Ajax in 2017, leading the Amsterdam giants to two league-cup doubles.
While he is the leading contender for the United job, Ten Hag faces competition for the role from Paris Saint-Germain's Mauricio Pochettino and Spain's Luis Enrique, whom many regard as more experienced options. Pochettino has proved his mettle in the Premier League with Southampton and Tottenham while Enrique led Barcelona to the continental treble in 2015.
In contrast, Ten Hag has never managed in Europe's top five leagues and there are lingering concerns about whether he can make the step up to one of the world's largest clubs. However, Kuyt insists his compatriot is more than ready to take charge of "any top side" after making rapid progress in Germany and the Netherlands. "Ten Hag is a great, experienced coach," the former Liverpool forward told GOAL . "He's done his apprenticeship, if you like, with Bayern Munich's second team, then Utrecht and now at Ajax.
"He is a great manager who has improved himself so much, on and off the pitch. I know some people were doubting his level of speaking English, his performance in front of the camera, but you see him growing every week as a manager, and I think he can do a great job at any top side in Europe.
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"His tactics, his way of thinking about football, is very interesting, and it would be great if he was to get an opportunity at a top side." Ten Hag's hopes of becoming United's next permanent manager appear to have been buoyed on two occasions recently. The first boost came as Enrique reaffirmed his commitment to leading Spain at the World Cup in Qatar this winter, seemingly closing the door on a summer switch.
Secondly, Julen Lopetegui has ruled himself out of the running for the job by declaring he has "no doubt" he will still be at Sevilla next season. The Spaniard had been included in the Red Devils' four-manager shortlist but his latest comments, combined with Enrique's reluctance to leave Spain, suggest Ten Hag and Pochettino are far more viable options to take over ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
