Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Ajax head coach Erik Ten Haag as their new manager ahead of the 2022-23 campaign in what is a huge signing by the club, but he isn’t the only one set to be joining the ranks at Old Trafford.
His assistant at Ajax, Mitchell van der Gaag, may well follow him and resume his second-in-command role when the pair swap Amsterdam for Manchester at the end of the current season, in what could become a crucial addition to the backroom team at the club.
Here is all you need to know about Mitchell van der Gagg, including his career so far and what he can be expected to bring to Old Trafford.
Who is Mitchell van der Gaag?
Mitchell van der Gaag is the current assistant manager to Erik ten Hag at Eredivisie club Ajax, a role he has held since June 2021 following a spell with the club’s reserves. Van der Gaag will resume his role as ten Hag’s assistant when the 52-year-old takes over as Man Utd manager at the end of the season.
Van der Gaag enjoyed an 18-year career as a professional, playing as a centre-back for PSV Eindhoven, NEC Nijmegen (loan), Sparta Rotterdam (loan), Motherwell, FC Utrecht, CS Maritimo and Al Nassr, before eventually retiring in 2007 after making a total of 431 league appearances.
He went into management a year later, plying his trade in Portugal with Maritimo B, before moving up to the first team, followed by a period in charge at Belenenses. After a brief stint at Ermis in Cyprus in 2015, he returned to the Netherlands and endured spells at Eindhoven, Excelsior, NAC Breda and Ajax Reserves, before becoming assistant manager for the first team.
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Career achievements
Since heading into management in 2008, van der Gaag has just one trophy to his name, which he won with Portuguese side Belenenses as they secured the Segunda Liga title in 2012-13, helping to return the club to the top flight after three years in his first and only season at the club.
He also helped Maritimo qualify for the Europa League two years before, although he was sacked the following season, and enjoyed successful periods managing Excelsior and NAC Breda in the Dutch top flight. As a player, he never won a trophy, but helped Motherwell avoid relegation from the Scottish Premier League with seven goals in 28 games in 1996-97 and helped Maritimo qualify for the UEFA Cup in 2003-04 with a further six strikes.
Since taking over from Christian Poulson as ten Hag’s assistant at Ajax in June 2021, van der Gaag has played a big part in helping to implement the attractive style of football at the club, while they remain on course for another league title with five games to play. They also finished as runners-up in the Dutch Super Cup and the KNVB Cup this season, and exited the Champions League in the Last 16.
What he can offer
Having been a defender during his playing days, it is hoped that van der Gaag will help to improve Man Utd’s leaky backline, while he was known as a coach with skill at organising defences, as well as his man management. Effectively, he serves as a second pair of eyes for Ten Hag, with the pair having formed a strong bond since working together.
As a manager in the past, Van der Gaag has admitted his preference of speaking to players individually about what they do well and things they can improve on, and therefore prioritises one on one meetings over speaking to the group as a whole, which could be something that will be implemented at Old Trafford under ten Hag.
This method ensures that every member of the squad feels valued, and in United’s case, this is desperately needed given the amount of individual personalities in the squad. His level of man management has helped him to create a reputation as a fine developer of young talent, which brings hope and high expectations to the Red Devils.
