Premier League giants Manchester United announced on Thursday afternoon that Dutch tactician Erik ten Hag had put pen to paper on a contract extension.
The new deal will run until June 2026.
The announcement comes weeks after it was confirmed that the Dutchman would be staying with the club following a tumultuous season that saw them miss out on Champions League qualification.
There had been much speculation that Ten Hag would be sacked, but a tactical dismantling of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the FA Cup Final is thought to have done the trick and convinced co-owner Jim Ratcliffe to carry on with the project.
“I am very pleased to have reached agreement with the club to continue working together,” Ten Hag said in a statement released by the club on Thursday.
“Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined.
"However, we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles.
"In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are all strongly committed to making that journey together.”
United’s new sporting director Dean Ashworth, whose move to the club was finalised this week following successful negotiations with Newcastle United, rubber stamped the contract extension, saying Ten Hag had a “record as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football”.
"With our strengthened football leadership team now in place, we are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Erik to achieve our shared ambitions for this football club,” said Ashworth.
IOL Sport