Erik ten Hag is a Dutch former professional footballer and the current manager of Premier League club Manchester United.
Early life
Erik ten Hag was born on February 2, 1970, in Haaksbergen, Overijssel.
Career
Erik ten Hag primarily played as a centre-back for Twente, De Graafschap, RKC Waalwijk, and Utrecht. He had three separate stints with Twente, winning the KNVB Cup in the 2000–01 season. Ten Hag also secured the Eerste Divisie title with De Graafschap in the 1990–91 season, a decade before his KNVB Cup triumph with Twente. He retired from playing in 2002 at age 32, after the 2001–02 Eredivisie season with Twente.
Post-retirement, Ten Hag began his coaching career at Twente’s academy, managing the U17 team and then the U19 team until 2006, when he was promoted to assistant manager, working under Fred Rutten and later Steve McClaren until 2009. He then joined PSV as an assistant to Rutten again.
In 2012, Ten Hag was appointed manager of Go Ahead Eagles in the Eerste Divisie by club shareholder Marc Overmars. In his sole season, he led the team to its first promotion in 17 years. From June 2013 to 2015, he coached Bayern Munich II, leading them to the Regionalliga Bayern before being replaced by Heiko Vogel.
Ten Hag became the sporting director and head coach of Utrecht in the summer of 2015. In his first season, Utrecht reached the KNVB Cup final, losing to Feyenoord, and finished fifth in the league, entering the playoffs for a Europa League spot. The following season, Utrecht finished fourth and secured a European place by winning the playoffs against AZ Alkmaar. Utrecht were sixth when Ten Hag left midway through the 2017–18 season.
On December 28, 2017, Ten Hag was appointed head coach of Ajax, succeeding Marcel Keizer. He signed a contract until June 2020 and debuted with a victory over Feyenoord on January 21, 2018. In the 2018–19 season, Ten Hag guided Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals, eliminating Real Madrid and Juventus, but losing to Tottenham Hotspur on away goals in the semi-finals. Ajax won the KNVB Cup and Eredivisie that season, completing a domestic double. Ten Hag extended his contract until 2022.
In the 2019–20 season, Ajax started strong but the season was voided due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The club’s European campaign ended early, with a third-place group finish in the Champions League and a Europa League exit to Getafe. Ajax began the 2020–21 season with a record-breaking victory over VVV-Venlo and won the KNVB Cup and Eredivisie titles. Ten Hag extended his contract through the 2022–23 season.
The 2021–22 season saw Ajax win the Eredivisie again and reach the Champions League round of 16. On April 21, 2022, Ten Hag was appointed manager of Manchester United, starting after the 2021–22 season. He left Ajax early to prepare for his new role, bringing Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren as part of his coaching staff.
In the 2022–23 season, Ten Hag’s United had a challenging start but won their first competitive game against Liverpool and claimed the EFL Cup by defeating Newcastle United. Despite a heavy defeat to Liverpool, United finished third in the Premier League, securing a Champions League spot, and reached the FA Cup final, losing to Manchester City.
The 2023–24 season began with a Premier League win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, United exited the EFL Cup and Champions League early. Ten Hag led United to an FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool but ended the Premier League season in eighth place. United won the FA Cup final against Manchester City, securing a Europa League spot for the 2024–25 season and earning Ten Hag his second major trophy with the club.
Personal life
Ten Hag and his wife, Bianca, are proud parents to two daughters and a son.
Net Worth
Undisclosed