Ten Hag is ‘looking forward’ to his reunion with Donny

ERIK ten Hag was asked about Donny van de Beek on Monday at his first United press conference.

Ten Hag didn’t give much away in general on Monday afternoon and that extended to his answer on the player he’s most familiar with at the club.

Ten Hag merely confirmed that he had a good relationship with Van de Beek and that he was looking forward to working with him. It was short and sweet. Ten Hag was calculated and concise with his choice of words throughout and he made a strong first impression at Old Trafford. Ten Hag’s handshakes, Dutch waffles and bottles of Heineken also helped create a warm welcome.

Van de Beek is expected to be one of the biggest winners at United from Ten Hag’s appointment. The pair will likely share a warm embrace when meeting for the first time again at Carrington. They shared plenty of bottles of Heineken at Ajax.

Van de Beek flourished playing at No.10 under Ten Hag at Ajax. Van de Beek rose to prominence as one of Europe’s most exciting young midfielders under his tutelage and he played an instrumental role in Ajax reaching the 2018/19 Champions League semifinal.

United fans are hoping Ten Hag will eventually go one step further at Old Trafford – however, it seems that dream is at least two or three years away from being achievable. Ten Hag has to rebuild United and it seems Van de Beek will play a key role in that project.

United fans have been denied the opportunity to form an informed opinion on Van de Beek since he signed from Ajax for £40m in 2020 because he simply hasn’t played enough.

Van de Beek made just two starts in the Premier League across the entirety of 2021 for United and he played 380 minutes across all competitions for them this season before leaving the club in January.

Everton signed Van de Beek on loan until the end of the season in the winter transfer window and the player would have been hoped to enjoy the level of success that Jesse Lingard did at West Ham. That will go down as one of the Premier League’s most sensational loan moves and that’s not hyperbole. Lingard laid down a remarkable marker that is unlikely to be matched by future loanees. Van de Beek didn’t get anywhere near that level. Frank Lampard started him when he was available, but the midfielder has struggled with injury and that has restricted the impact he’s been able to make. The loan spell hasn’t provided any clarity about Van de Beek’s ability, or his future. However, the player did score against Arsenal at the weekend while Ten Hag was at Selhurst. Considering United’s performance against Palace, Ten Hag might have wanted to get on the London Underground to watch his former No.10 in action.

The pair will likely share a warm embrace when meeting for the first time at Carrington