Erik ten Hag was sacked as Manchester United manager on Monday and his former De Graafschap teammate Hans Kraay Jr has revealed the Dutchman is “completely devastated”
Erik ten Hag has been left “completely devastated” after he was sacked by Manchester United on Monday.
Ten Hag was axed after a 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday left United languishing 14th in the Premier League and Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim is set to be appointed as his replacement.
Ten Hag spent two-and-a-half years in charge at Old Trafford, where he won the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. However, he also oversaw United’s worst-ever Premier League finish last season and they failed to improve this season despite investing more than £200million on new signings over the summer.
As a result, Ten Hag was given the boot and one of his former teammates has shared some insight into the Dutchman’s current mindset. Hans Kraay Jr, who played alongside Ten Hag at De Graafschap, told Dutch outlet SoccerNews that the former United boss was “completely ruined”.
“I understand that he is getting €17million and then people say: ‘he will go somersaulting through Manchester’,” Kraay Jr said. “No, he is completely, completely devastated, he is completely ruined. At the moment you don’t think about money.
“That will come later. I also don’t have the impression that I have to call him tomorrow to ask – ‘can you still make ends meet, can you still get the groceries?’ Not that, but now he’s in trouble.”
Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has taken interim charge of United while a deal for Amorim is finalised, also revealed that Ten Hag is “very disappointed” after the pair spoke following his sacking on Monday.
Hans Kraay Jr has revealed Ten Hag is “completely devastated” ( Image: VI Images via Getty Images)
Speaking ahead of United’s clash with Chelsea on Sunday, Van Nistelrooy told reporters: “I’ve seen him Monday here and I’ve spoken to him yesterday before the game. Obviously, [he is] very disappointed and touched because he really cared for the club.
“I said also yesterday in the first conversation we had for me to come back to the club with him I really felt that he cared and loved the club and wanted to bring this club forward and that’s why we connected, and that’s why he’s also hurt that he had to leave but also proud of his achievements here with the two cups and obviously the history that he’s leaving with that.”
