The Dutch manager is not exactly known for fine-tuning his social antennae, which is proven once again with this story from his two-year tenure at Manchester United.
Ten Hag was manager of Manchester United between 2022 and 2024.
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A Manchester United player who was declared redundant by Erik ten Hag was later prevented from leaving the club.
Ten Hag was sacked as United manager in October 2024, months after he won the FA Cup and secured European football.
The Dutchman faced question marks over his style of play and United’s defensive problems towards the end of his tenure, while his relationship with players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphaël Varane was also highlighted.
Varane, who retired as a professional footballer last year, told The Athletic in February 2025 that he was “surprised” that Ten Hag was offered a new contract by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe after his FA Cup triumph, adding that “the connection with the group no longer existed”. – He had lost the locker room…
Another player that the former Ajax boss didn’t always get along with was right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whose future was decided not long after Ten Hag walked through the doors at Carrington.
Wan-Bissaka was a costly arrival under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, joining United from Crystal Palace for an initial transfer fee of £45 million in 2019.
The 28-year-old fits very well into the template of a traditional defenseman, with his primary attributes such as tackling ability and overall defensive skills, rather than efficiency in attack. He played just five minutes in the first weeks of Ten Hag’s tenure until October 2022, when he struggled with various injury issues.
But when he returned after the World Cup, Wan-Bissaka played his way back to a place in the team and was then one of United’s most stable players.
Ten Hag praised his mentality in February 2023, telling United’s official website: “He had a difficult first part of the season, but he fought his way back and that’s to his credit.”
Now, in an interview with the Daily Mail, Wan-Bissaka has revealed that he was personally told by Ten Hag that he was not in his plans before the start of that season – but was prevented from leaving.
“It was difficult when Erik ten Hag came – as soon as he arrived, he told me I wasn’t in his plans,” the Congolese international recalled.
“But when I tried to leave, he said he didn’t want me to leave. I couldn’t understand it.
It was tough mentally, because it made me wonder what to do next. I just kept my head down and told myself that I was going to keep training, keep improving and play my game.
However, it was difficult to stay motivated, especially when you’re training without a clear goal to play. But the people around me guided me in the right way and encouraged me to keep going.
Eventually, things turned around and started to get better. You could say that I changed or developed tactically under him, because it was something he wanted.”
Wan-Bissaka stayed at United for one more season, but the 2023/24 season was again plagued by injuries – although he had an extended spell in the team between March and May.
In August 2024, the right-back signed a long-term contract with West Ham, who paid around £15 million to sign him.
Now he is in a relegation battle with the Hammers, who are currently in 18th place in the Premier League table and are two points from safe ground with 11 games left to play.
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