The former Man Utd manager was asked about his old club on Friday evening when returning for a pre-season friendly with Bayer Leverkusen.
Erik ten Hag was asked about Man Utd on his return to England.
Erik ten Hag was asked about Man Utd on his return to England.
(Image: Getty Images)
Erik ten Hag refused to be drawn on his time at Manchester United after returning to England for a pre-season friendly as Bayer Leverkusen head coach.
Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2022 - following a successful tenure at Dutch Eredivisie giants Ajax. His daring, possession-based approach as Ajax's head coach led him to three league titles, two Dutch Cups and a memorable journey to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.
The ex-Bayern Munich youth team coach then had a fairly successful opening season at M16, picking up the 2023 Carabao Cup - United's first piece of silverware since 2017 - and securing a third-place finish in the Premier League. His side also made it to the FA Cup final, where they were beaten by Manchester City, and pulled off an impressive victory over Catalan outfit Barcelona in the Europa League.
However, Ten Hag's second season saw a downturn in results. Despite winning the FA Cup, United finished eighth in the top-flight table, marking their lowest-ever Premier League finish.
United then began the following campaign poorly - and Ten Hag was sacked in October 2024. The 55-year-old has since returned to football this summer at German Bundesliga side Leverkusen - bringing his team to London where they lost 2-0 to Chelsea in a friendly.
And speaking after that match, United's ex-head coach was asked about his old side. "It's not about Manchester United, that is now closed," he told Sky Sports.
"I'm looking forward and I'm really happy to be back. I'm really enjoying the last couple of weeks.
"Back with the team, do the training, working on game model, selecting the team also working on the squad, so really a pleasure for me to be here. We have a good club, we have a good team, and we will improve."
When it was put to him that his trophy wins at United may have tempted Leverkusen to appoint him, he added: "You would have to ask the club.
"I love to win trophies, and that is what I'm doing all my career. I want to keep this process going, and that is my challenge with Leverkusen to do the same."
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