Erik ten Hag has been backed to be a hit at Manchester United by his former Ajax protege Matthijs de Ligt.
Ten Hag left the Amsterdam club this summer to take charge at United on a mission to revive the former Premier League champions. He faces a tough challenge after United finished sixth in disarray under Ralf Rangnick.
They have not won a trophy since 2017 but Juventus stopper De Ligt knows Ten Hag well after playing under him from 2016-2019 before moving to Italy. The defender, 22, assessed: "He is someone who loves his job and he loves to work.
"He wants to do everything to make his team play better. He's really into the details. This makes him a really good trainer who improves players. He has a lot of qualities to succeed and we will have to see how he goes.”
De Ligt was part of Holland’s side who won 2-1 in Wales in the Nations League after an injury-time winner inspired by Frenkie de Jong.
The Barcelona midfield star, 25, ran from the middle of his own half to the edge of Wales’ box before releasing Tyrell Malacia to cross for Wout Weghorst to head in.
De Jong, who has 42 caps, is under contract at the Spanish giants until 2026 after a £67million move in 2019. He has been linked with a potential move to United and Holland boss Louis van Gaal has put a £95m price on his head.
But De Ligt insists he is in the dark about a potential mega-deal for his pal and compatriot, who also played at Ajax under Ten Hag,
De Ligt insisted: "He's not said anything. But he’s an amazing player and everybody knows how important he is for the team."
