Ten Hag makes appearance at SURPRISE match amid job rumours

Robin Bairner

• 2 Nov 2024 20:20 GMT
• 3 min read

Erik ten Hag has unexpectedly made his first public appearance following his sacking by Manchester United earlier this week.

Following a Premier League loss to West Ham United last weekend, the manager was jettisoned by the Old Trafford club and replaced by Ruben Amorim, who will take charge later this month.

Ten Hag, meanwhile, was said to have been “completely ruined” by his sacking, yet he has quickly picked himself off the floor to return to a stadium.

While it might have been expected for the manager to take in Saturday’s showcase Eredivisie match between his former club Ajax and PSV, he was surprisingly spotted by ESPN’s camera watching Heracles against NAC Breda.

“Of course Erik ten Hag has time,” commentator Sjors Blaauw said. “He’s using that time to watch a nice game of football in Almelo”

It was surprising that Ten Hag picked that match given the magnitude of Ajax’s fixture against PSV and also the fact that Twente, another club that Ten Hag previously worked for, travelled to Willem II.

Dortmund hopes suffer blow

Already there has been speculation over where the former Manchester United boss might wind up next.

Borussia Dortmund were said to be following him due to the pressure building on Nuri Sahin following three straight defeats.

This was, however, relieved to some extent on Saturday as BVB picked up a come-from-behind victory over previously undefeated RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

Even appearing in the stands, meanwhile, seems to show that Ten Hag’s love for football is undiminished by his experience at Old Trafford and that he is willing to put himself back out there quickly, despite a couple of difficult years in Manchester.

Interim Man Utd boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, meanwhile, has admitted that he spoke to Ten Hag prior to the 5-2 EFL Cup victory over Leicester City in midweek, so it’s clear that for the moment, at least, he still has a connection with his former side.