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Erik ten Hag has signed a contract extension with Manchester United which will keep him at the club until 2026 putting to bed previous doubts over the manager’s position.
The Dutchman’s role was under scrutiny from the new minority owners led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos but an end-of-season review determined that Ten Hag was the right man to take the club forward.
Despite underwhelming Premier League and Champions League campaigns last year, which saw United endure their lowest-ever league finish (eighth) and an early group stage exit, Ten Hag has won two trophies in as many years since taking charge at Old Trafford.
The 54-year-old was vocal about his desire to remain at the club and held positive talks with United after winning the FA Cup final against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, before agreeing terms for a contract extension.
Speaking of the new deal, Ten Hag said: “I am very pleased to have reached agreement with the club to continue working together. Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined.
“However, we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles. In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are all strongly committed to making that journey together.”
Manchester United’s new sporting director, Dan Ashworth, added: “With two trophies in the past two seasons, Erik has reinforced his record as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football.
“While the club’s review of last season highlighted areas for improvement, it also reached a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes. This group of players and staff have already shown they are capable of competing and winning at the top level; now we need to do it more consistently.
“With our strengthened football leadership team now in place, we are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Erik to achieve our shared ambitions for this football club.”
