Erik ten Hag has returned to his hometown of Oldenzaal in the Netherlands and is likely to retreat to his hideaway in Austria soon, according to reports. The 54-year-old lost his job as Manchester United manager on Monday, less than 24 hours after his side were beaten 2-1 by West Ham in east London.
That defeat proved to be the final straw for United chiefs following the former Ajax manager’s underwhelming two-and-a-half year reign at Old Trafford.
He oversaw the Red Devils’ lowest league position of the Premier League era last season as the team finished eighth, and departed Manchester this week following United’s worst-ever start to a campaign since England’s top-flight rebrand in 1992.
Ten Hag immediately raced to Manchester airport after being axed to catch a private jet to the Netherlands, according to the Daily Mail. And within hours of his sacking, he was back in his five-bedroom home near the centre of Oldenzaal.
He has since been consoled by his parents Hennie and Joke, who have visited him in the £1million modern three-storey house.
The same publication have revealed that Ten Hag is expected to head to his Austrian hideaway in the coming days to reflect on the last week. And the coach is said to privately be taking the strengthening of his financial position after signing a new deal at United in the summer as a victory.
Ten Hag carved out a formidable reputation in Holland, where he led Ajax to three Eredivisie titles and two Dutch Cups during a four-and-a-half-year spell in charge at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
He is also held in high regard in parts of Germany after spending two years as Bayern Munich’s reserve team manager from 2013 to 2015.
And he is likely to return to the dugout at some stage in the future after leaving Old Trafford as an FA Cup and Carabao Cup winner. But it remains to be seen how long he will wait on the sidelines to unwind from the stresses placed upon him in England.
“It’s no surprise that Erik was visited by Hennie and Joke,” explained a neighbour of Ten Hag in Oldenzaal. “They are a close family and his parents are very proud and very, very supportive.
“In fact everyone around Oldenzaal is very proud of him and very respectful of the Ten Hags.
“’He can relax and feel like he has his privacy when he is here – and I’m sure that’s very different to what he experienced in Manchester and why he was quick to return.”
